Ava DuVernay thinks ‘Selma’ reinforces the idea that "you’re never too small to make a difference".
The Oscar-nominated film starring David Oyelowo and Oprah Winfrey tells the story of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches – a landmark of the American Civil Rights Movement – and the director thinks the film carries an important message.
Speaking at the UK premiere in London, the film-maker told BANG Showbiz: "The Selma marches are just extraordinary. It was just a small, sleepy southern town, which no-one was paying attention to.
"They bounded together, they raised their voices, they amplified and they changed the world. This film is about that – you’re never too small to make a difference. Hopefully, people check it out and feel the same."
Ava, 42, also revealed she was determined to have women involved with the film.
She shared: "As a woman director, working on the script and the film, it was essential to me that we had women involved. We added about five women characters and amplified the voices of the women who were there. It’s imperative. You can’t tell stories without women. It’s not the truth, so we tried to tell the truth as we saw it."
Following the premiere, ‘Selma’ stars David Oyelowo and Colman Domingo, and director Ava DuVernay, attended the exclusive VIP post-premiere event hosted at the luxurious One Mayfair in central London by beer brand Stella Artois as part of its Stella Artois Bursaries programme, which supports the release of standout independent films.
The guests enjoyed a breathtaking performance by the London Community Gospel Choir; whose rendition of the Golden Globe winning song Glory from the film’s Oscar nominated soundtrack received raucous applause.
Ava DuVernay thinks Selma tells an important message
