Ava DuVernay

Tonight’s episode is about QUEEN Ava Duvernay, the director behind 13th , Selma , A Wrinkle in Time , and Origin as well as the founder of ARRAY, “a multi-platform arts and social impact collective dedicated to narrative change,” which is what we’re all about here on Our Voices Project. Joining us on the podcast is Dr. Katrina Overby aka DJ Spin Dr. KO, Dominique Alexandria Simmonds, and Kamesha B. Katrina is an activist scholar who is interested broadly in media, race, sexuality, and gender. Specifically, her research interests are in: Black Twitter, social media and culture, African American cinema, race and identity in television and popular culture, sports media, and the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). Follow Katrina on Instagram and subscribe to her YouTube Channel . To learn more about paths to repair the harm done by media, visit Media 2070: https://mediareparations.org/ . Dominique Alexandria Simmonds is a creative, mother, and founder of Caribago Designs, where Afro-Caribbean heritage, Melanated arts, and visual storytelling converge. Passionate about celebrating culture through design, photography, and textile art, she brings vibrant energy, heritage, and joy to every encounter. Visit her website at https://www.caribagocreative.com/ or give her a phone call at (585) 622-4562 to work with her! You can also follow her on Facebook and Instagram . Kamesha B is a multifaceted creative based in NYC and Rochester, NY, weaving her talents as a writer, producer, director, and media consultant into a tapestry of storytelling. She has worked with CBS News, The Food Network, Six Point Pictures, Seed Vision est89, and Amazon Prime Video. Kamesha’s career aspiration is clear: to create uncompromising stories that challenge conventional paradigms and bring authentic visions to the screen. Her academic journey includes a B.A. in English from Buffalo State University, followed by a deep dive into Storytelling at Johns Hopkins University, where she earned a dual M.A. in Business and Film Media Studies. Visit her website at seedvisionest89.org . Wherever you’re listening from and hit that subscribe button. If you liked tonight’s episode, please give us a 5-star rating, share this episode and leave a comment to let us know what you loved about tonight’s episode. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Visit ourvoicesproject.com and sign up for our newsletter for more information about what we do. We’ll be back with more episodes every Thursday with old and newly released movies that center Black, Brown, and Indigenous folks, general movie news, and interviews with film festival programmers/curators, film critics, and filmmakers! This has been Jackie McGriff, your host for this episode of Representation in Cinema. As always, thank you again for listening! Chapters: 00:01 - Introduction to Representation Cinema 00:56 - Introducing Ava DuVernay: A Journey Through Storytelling 22:26 - The Role of Media in Criminalization 42:25 - The Impact of Media on the Civil Rights Movement 47:08 - The Impact of Media on Historical Nar

Before Ava DuVernay became an Oscar-nominated director and groundbreaking force in Hollywood, she was a 32 year old publicist with a $50,000 film, no film school degree, and a dream she wasn't sure anyone would take seriously. Then Roger Ebert said yes. In this deeply personal conversation, the visionary filmmaker sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the legendary film critic who believed in her when the world had no idea who she was. Ava opens up about the moment she cold-pitched Roger Ebert to review her debut film I Will Follow , a meditation on grief inspired by her aunt Denise. She had worked with him before as a publicist, always transactional, always professional. But this time it was different. This was her movie. She didn't tell him that at first. She just sent the pitch like she always did. He said yes. And then he wrote a review that changed everything. Ava talks about growing up in Compton with her aunt Denise, standing outside the Oscars as a little girl getting a thumbs up from Roger Ebert himself, and never imagining she'd one day be the filmmaker he championed. She shares what it felt like to be taken seriously by the critic of a generation, how his belief gave her the confidence to keep going, and why she spoke at his funeral years later. There's also a powerful reflection on what it means to open doors all the way, not just crack them, and why she believes your presence alone is an act of resistance. If you've ever felt unqualified, if you've ever been afraid to ask for help, or if you've ever wondered whether one person's attention could actually change the trajectory of your life, this episode will remind you that sometimes all it takes is someone willing to take you seriously. And sometimes, that's the greatest gift of all. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: www.thedogoodcrew.com Thank you to Canva for believing in the power of storytelling and helping us bring this podcast to life: https://canva.com Chapters ☀️ Chapters 00:00:00 Intro: The Girl with the Thumbs Up and Roger Ebert 00:07:47 The Cold Pitch: Sending the Film to Roger Ebert 00:07:17 The Tweet That Changed Everything 00:11:02 The Review: When a Critic Sees Your Soul 00:15:33 I Will Follow: A Film About Aunt Denise 00:29:34 The Power of Being Taken Seriously 00:44:13 From Publicist to Filmmaker: Finding Your Calling at 30 00:41:28 Cinema as Memory: The Power to Rewrite and Heal 00:54:14 Opening Doors All the Way: The Philosophy of True Mentorship 00:58:47 Get On a Moving Train: What It Takes to Earn Help 01:00:54 Leading with Kindness While Demanding Excellence 00:37:39 Speaking at Roger Ebert's Funeral: The Full Circle Moment ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Ava DuVernay Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse Associate Produc

Director Showdown turns 7 episodes old today! In this series, we pit 64 of the biggest directors to debut since 1998 against each other in an elimination bracket to determine who will walk away the greatest director of the last 26 years! In the last episode , we looked into Joanna Hogg and Jason Reitman's approach to autobiographical -- or semi-autobiographical -- filmmaking. How each artist explored the impact of people around them on their view of themselves, or the people closest to them. Pitting The Souvenir against Saturday Night , Hogg ultimately came out on top and advanced to the next round! This week, we move into finding the first competitor for the fourth matchup of that next round.... We start with the heavy hitter, the first director in this series to win a Palme d'Or for his work, Apichatpong Weerasethakul! Born in 1970, Weerasethakul (or sometimes "Joe") grew up in a traditional Buddhist family, and got his bachelor's degree in architecture in 1994. Before even finishing school, he'd already made his first short film, and would go on to debut his first feature, Mysterious Object at Noon , in 2000. In 2010, Weerasethakul finished a multi-platform art project, "Primitive", which culminated in the film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. Uncle Boonmee would go on to be selected as the Thai submission for the International Feature Oscar at the 83rd Academy Awards, but would not be selected. But despite not being recognized by the Academy, Uncle Boonmee was and continues to be recognized by many critics as one of the best films ever made. Facing off against Joe is Ava DuVernay. DuVernay has proven herself a force as both a narrative and documentary filmmaker. Her 2017 documentary 13th was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary feature, making DuVernay the first black woman nominated for that award. Her 2014 film Selma was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Song at the 87th Academy Awards. She's additionally directed A Wrinkle In Time for Disney, produced 2021's The White Tiger , and written, directed, and created shows for HBO, Netflix, CBS, and others. DuVernay's 2023 film Origin combines all those skills, DuVernay adapting the book "Caste: The Origins of our Discontents" by Isabel Wilkerson into a hybrid docudrama about Wilkerson's life and the idea of caste. In this episode, we're taking a look at how the most distant past affects the present. How trauma seeps through generations, and ultimately forms the very society we live in today. Not all of us can recall our past lives, but there must nevertheless be an origin of our discontents. Joining us on today's episode is Zachary Lee ! Zachary is a freelance film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com , MovieWeb , Letterboxd , and many more sites. Recently, he wrote a few pieces about the film The Monkey, at least one of which we briefly talk about in this episode. You can find more of Zachary over on Twitter and Letterboxd ! Finally, check out the RogerEbert.com review of Origin that Zachary mentions in this episode, written by Robert Daniels This episode was inspire

In this supersized episode, Lena reunites with someone who has known her and watched her grow for a long time -- the incredible, inspirational director and filmmaker Ava DuVernay, known for films from Selma to Middle of Nowhere to 13th. The two old friends have a lot to catch up on, from how Ava learned to work magic on a shoestring budget, Lena's memories of seeing the world premiere of Selma (and how that film changed Ava's life), the power of reaching a global audience, and how Ava discovered the privilege of learning and evolving her perspective on the world while making documentaries. Throughout the conversation, it's clear that both Lena and Ava share a deep reverence for history -- and the stories we can find to tell from our pasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Louis Vuitton [EXTENDED] – the Podcast, host Loïc Prigent shares a compelling conversation with Ava DuVernay, the film director, screenwriter activist, and Friend of the Maison. Following the Cruise 2025 Show in the iconic Park Güell in Barcelona, they exchange impressions on Nicolas Ghesquière's latest collection before diving into the world of filmmaking. Passionate about her craft, Ava DuVernay opens up about her authentic directing style, commitment to inclusion and diversity, and how she draws from her personal background and interests to give a voice to the voiceless. Hosted by Audiomeans. Visit audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite for more information.

Dans cet épisode du podcast Louis Vuitton [EXTENDED], Loïc Prigent dévoile sa passionnante conversation avec Ava DuVernay, réalisatrice, scénariste, activiste et Amie de la Maison. Installés dans l’emblématique parc Güell de Barcelone après le défilé Croisière 2025, ils échangent leurs impressions sur la dernière collection de Nicolas Ghesquière avant de se plonger dans l’univers du cinéma. Passionnée par son métier, Ava DuVernay se confie sur son approche authentique de la réalisation, son engagement pour l’inclusion et la diversité, et sa manière de s’inspirer de son parcours personnel et ses centres d’intérêt pour donner une voix à ceux qui n’en ont pas. Hosted by Audiomeans. Visit audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite for more information.

Welcome to issue twenty-seven of The Attention Span Newsletter by me, Canan “Ja’anan” Marasligil . I’m a writer, a literary translator and an artist based in Amsterdam. Every other week, I take the time to reflect and offer a glimpse of how I see and feel the world through the lens of culture, art, translation, poetry and literature . Subscribe: www.theattentionspan.com/subscribe Support: When I launched the attention span newsletter, thoughtful friends convinced me to start a Patreon page. I received support for a full year from some of you, which has allowed me to pay for logistical costs. I stopped the Patreon page to simplify supporting ways to one-off payments starting at 2,50 EUR. Do support if you can and want to: via PAYPAL . EPISODE 27 SHOW NOTES The poem I am referring to: by Emily Dickinson , put into music by Pete Josef, “ Hope ”. Ava DuVernay’s limited series When They See Us. The book Caste: The Origins of our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson . Deep South: A Social Anthropological Study of Caste and Class , a groundbreaking study conducted by a black and a white couple: Allison Davis, Elizabeth Davis, Burleigh B. Gardner, and Mary R. Gardner. Ava DuVernay turned to philanthropists to finance her film. Origin is available for rent or purchase on different streaming platforms ( Apple TV in The Netherlands). WATCH Talking of artists with political courage, this is also one great example: Macklemore ’s protest song: HIND'S HALL . The title is a reference to pro-Palestinian activists’ renaming of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University to "Hind's Hall" in honour of Hind Rajab, the Palestinian six-year-old killed by Israeli forces. I invite you to watch the video clip online . Not only does Macklemore speak truth, but he’s one of the rare artists with such a gigantic platform in the music industry, to openly take a stand against the funding of violence by his government. I’m not sure what the others staying silent are afraid of, since Macklemore keeps giving sold out concerts in arenas across the world. He is creating solidarity with a powerful discourse of love and demand for freedom for all, against violence and hatred, he stands against polarization (see for instance this poignant video he shared on his Instagram page ). We’re hungry for such care and call to love. I wish our politicians and the media would carry discourses like this one instead of dividing us all through fear. LISTEN <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5H8f92czIxzvX

Plus Isabel Wilkerson, Clara Sola, Marianne North, Bolesław Biegas & Daughters of Latin America! This Week’s Apéritif: 2021 Ruggeri Prosecco Superiore Brut “Vecchie Viti,” DOCG Conegliano Valdobbiadene, Italy Reading: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson & Daughters of Latin America: An International Anthology of Writing by Latine Women edited by Sandra Guzmán Listening: The Music of Eric Carmen (August 11, 1949 - March 11, 2024) & The Road Back Home by Loreena McKennitt Looking: The Art of Bolesław Biegas (1877 - 1954) & The Art of Marianne North (1830 – 1890) Viewing: Origin — written & directed by Ava DuVernay , inspired by Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson & Clara Sola (2021) —directed by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén , starring Wendy Chinchilla Araya Tasting: Ryan Wildstar’s Çılbır (Turkish Poached Eggs) with Sautéed Shrimp For links, playlists, previews and photos of everything thing we talk about, visit our Substack page - Aesthetic Arrest Podcast: Ava DuVernay's 'Origin,' Loreena McKennitt, Eric Carmen & Turkish Çılbır with Shrimp!

This week, acclaimed director Ava DuVernay chats to Simon and Mark about ‘Origin’, her new biographical drama based on the life of the author Isabel Wilkerson who wrote the seminal book ‘Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents’, while coping with personal tragedy. Mark also offers his thoughts on the film, as well as reviewing ‘The Inventor’, a Stephen Fry-starring animation, which imagines Leonardo da Vinci, as he leaves Italy to join the French court, where he can experiment, study and invent freely; and ‘High and Low – John Galliano’, a documentary charting the triumphs and controversies of the legendary and controversial fashion designer. Plus, Mark and Simon keep us abreast of the cinematic events happening around the country. Timecodes (relevant only for the Vanguard - who are also ad-free!): 08:16 High & Low: John Galliano review 20:52 Box Office Top 10 32:52 Ava DuVernay interview 47:29 Origin review 54:55 Laughter Lift 01:03:42 The Inventor review 01:09:09 What’s On You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Isha Blaaker joins The Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul to discuss his impactful new film Origin (based on Isabel Wilkerson's acclaimed book Caste ), working with Ava DuVernay and more. Isha Blaaker is an actor and model who was raised in the Netherlands. He broke into the entertainment industry as a model, starring in major international luxury brand campaigns for Hugo Boss, L’Oreal, Ralph Lauren, and an Estée Lauder to name just a few. As he became more known in the fashion world, he developed a love for a different art - acting. After making his mark on screen in Fear the Walking Dead and Tyler Perry’s A Madea Homecoming , Isha booked the incredibly important film we are here to spotlight today: Ava DuVernay’s Origin . Isha plays real-life trailblazing anthropologist Dr. Allison Davis in the sprawling drama, exploring the notion of caste in America. His character embarks on a landmark journey with his wife, portrayed by Jasmine Cephas Jones, from the segregated U.S. South to Nazi-era Berlin. Follow Isha: @ishablaaker Follow us: @artofkindnesspod / @robpeterpaul Support the show ! (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theaok) Music: "Awake" by Ricky Alvarez & "Sunshine" by Lemon Music Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ava DuVernay's cinematic masterpiece 'Origin' explores the intersection of race and caste. DuVernay adapts Isabel Wilkerson's thought-provoking book, 'Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent,' into a film that delves deep into societal analysis. Reggie 'The Reel Critic' Ponder met with the filmmaker to unravel the creative journey behind the film, and the narrative she aimed to convey. "The Reel Critic" is hosted and produced by Reggie Ponder. Follow Reggie on Twitter and Instagram @TheReelCritic, and on Facebook @ReggieTheReelCritic. For a more in-depth exploration of the interview and to hear more on Ava DuVernay's making of Origin, visit Reggie Ponder's website at reggieponder.com.

Synopsis: From Academy Award® nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay, ORIGIN explores the mystery of history, the wonders of romance, and a fight for our future. While investigating the global phenomenon of caste and its dark influence on society, a journalist faces unfathomable personal loss and uncovers the beauty of human resilience. Ava DuVernay | Director , Writer, Producer Ava DuVernay is an Academy Award nominee and winner of the Emmy, BAFTA, Sundance, Image and Peabody Awards. Her feature film directorial work includes the historical drama Selma , the criminal justice documentary 13th and Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time , which made her the highest grossing Black woman director in American box office history. Her latest project is the feature film ORIGIN, based on the best-selling book “Caste: The Origin of our Discontent” by Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson. She amplifies the work of directors of color and women of all kinds through her narrative change collective, ARRAY. DuVernay sits on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, representing the directors branch in her second term. She is also a Vice-President of the Directors Guild of America and an advisory board member of the American Film Institute. Show Notes: Some Thoughts on the Oscar Nominations