melina matsoukas
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'Oppressors, Not Protectors': The Cast of Queen & Slim Reflect on Policing
As Solange once crooned, “this shit is for us.” At the time of this article’s posting, I’ve seen Queen & Slim three times and I have no doubt this film was primarily created for us. Still, like any movie, you want as many eyes on it as possible, so I had to give writer Lena…
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'We Stand Here to Honor Her Life': Melina Matsoukas and Lena Waithe Memorialized #AtatianaJefferson at Elle's Women in Hollywood Awards
Queen & Slim director Melina Matsoukas was somber as she accepted her award at Elle’s 2019 Women in Hollywood awards ceremony on Monday night. As she explained to the assembled guests, her mind was on Atatiana Jefferson, the 28-year-old killed in her own home on Saturday by police officer Aaron Dean in Fort Worth, Texas.…
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Anxiety, Intimacy and Creating While Black: Zendaya and the Women of Queen & Slim Talk Being 'Women in Hollywood'
Ladies first: That’s the message of Elle’s 2019 Women in Hollywood issue, which features Zendaya and Queen & Slim’s Lena Waithe, Melina Matsoukas and Jodie Turner-Smith on three of its nine covers. And as Elle notes, it’s also a celebration of firsts: Lena Waithe’s first time writing a feature film, Melina Matsoukas’ first time directing…
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‘Let’s Go’: I Watched the First 12 Minutes of Queen & Slim at Essence Fest. Damn.
“Black people don’t live, they survive,” Lena Waithe uttered to an eager audience of Essence Fest patrons who had just witnessed something that left us wanting more. That line not only reflects reality but embodies the upcoming film she wrote, Queen & Slim, directed by Melina Matsoukas. In case you need a refresher, here’s this…
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First Look: Behind the Scenes and on the Run With Queen & Slim
Y’all. Meet Queen & Slim. And instantly fall in lust, love and lure. Penned by Lena Waithe (from an original idea by A Million Little Pieces author James Frey, who approached her about it at an industry party) and helmed by Melina Matsoukas, at first glance, Queen & Slim looks to bolt its way into…
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2019 AFI Lifetime Achievement Ceremony: Denzel Washington Collects His Things; Beyoncé Honors Melina Matsoukas
Everyone who is anyone in Hollywood gathered to celebrate your favorite actor’s favorite actor Denzel Washington at the 47th AFI Life Achievement Award gala, presented by the American Film Institute, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday night. The star-studded guest list included Spike Lee, Antoine Fuqua, Chadwick Boseman, Jennifer Hudson, Mahershala Ali,…
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Insecure Director Melina Matsoukas Will Helm Her 1st Series for Amazon Studios
The auteur who has blessed us with stunning visual work for Solange (“Losing You,”) Beyoncé (“Formation”) and Rihanna (“We Found Love”) will direct her first series with Amazon Studios: an adaptation of Marlon James’ novel A Brief History of Seven Killings. Melina Matsoukas, who is of Jamaican descent, is already the executive producer and director of…