Amma Asante: ‘I am the Quintessential Black British Female Filmmaker’

From “Grange Hill” “Desmonds” to “Birds of a Feather,” child actor-turned-adult-actor-turned-writer/director Amma Asante ran the gamut of acting roles on television before she began her directorial career. “I was not a good actress and not comfortable in front of the camera, so I made the decision at about 20 to stop acting,” says Asante who helms the period drama “Belle.”

Amma Asante - courtesy of Royalty Image - Copy

Amma Asante – courtesy of Royalty Image 

A love story with a political background deftly set in late 18th-century rural England, “Belle” is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the young mixed-race aristocrat who played an instrumental part in the United Kingdom’s historic move to abolish the slave trade. “It’s a film which looks at issues of identity, gender, race and class and the complexity because they are not separate. They overlap and are complex,” adds Asante whose directional debut “A Way of Life” earned her 17 international awards for writing and directing.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Belle and Sam Reid as John Davinier

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Belle and Sam Reid as John Davinier

With a spectacular ensemble cast that includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Dido, Miranda Richardson as Lady Ashford, Penelope Wilton, Tom Felton, James Norton and Oscar nominee Tom Wilkinson as Lord Mansfield, “Belle” is a beautifully crafted love story with a political background set in late 18th-century rural England. For the British-Ghanaian director, the film offered an opportunity of bringing a revealing new twist to the sense and sensibilities of a romantic period film.

Belle director Amma Asante

Belle director Amma Asante

“I’ve never seen a film about the Jane Austen elements we know so well combined with a story about the end of slavery and knew it was unique and different,” she continues. “This offered an opportunity, if I get it right, to create a story that’s about our politics and race all in one go and that is the filmmaker I am.” In a banner year for black period dramas (“12 Years a Slave,” “The Retrieval”)

Tom Wilkinson as Lord Mansfield

Tom Wilkinson as Lord Mansfield

“Belle” is a sophisticated and elegant period piece. Exquisitely detailed and impeccably acted it’s a heartfelt love story filled with rich characters and compelling events.

“Belle” releases in U.S. theaters May 2

Samantha Ofole-Prince serves as the Senior Entertainment Editor for Trendy Africa. She covers industry-specific news that includes television and film.  

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