centre stage
Gina Prince-Bythewood
Director of the critically acclaimed film The Secret Life Of Bees
H
ollywood director Gina
Prince-Bythewood is over
in the UK to promote her
latest film The Secret Life Of Bees.
Surrounded by the colourful luxury
of the Soho Hotel, the composed
and controlled writer and director
sits down with Favour Magazine for
a quick chat about her career.
Gina Prince-Bythewood is
probably most famous for her
film Love And Basketball which
was produced by Spike Lee
and starred Sanaa Lathan and
Omar Epps. She was also the
director behind Wesley Snipes
in Disappearing Acts as well as
directing episodes of Everybody
Hates Chris, Girlfriends and The
Bernie Mac Show. Her latest film
The Secret Life Of Bees is the
Moving story: ‘I cried when I read
heart-warming and emotional tale
the original novel by Sue Monk Kidd’
of the Boatwright Sisters; three
an all-star cast including Queen that you can celebrate your
African-American women who run
Latifah, Sophie Okonedo and Alicia differences, but it doesn’t inhibit
their own Bee Farm during the
Keys who play the sisters, Jennifer your ability to love one other.’
racially charged Sixties. One day,
Hudson who plays Rosaleen and The Secret Life Of Bees
the sisters are unexpectedly visited
by Lily, a young white runaway
Dakota Fanning who plays 14-year- contains all the essential
accompanied by her black house
old Lily. But having also written the ingredients of your average chick
keeper Rosaleen while both of
script, Gina knew who she wanted flick; emotion, tears and a good
them are homeless. Unable to turn
to cast from early on. old love story – but despite this,
them away, the sisters take them
‘When I was writing it I had Gina insists that the film appeals
in and an epic journey of love,
some faces in mind. Dakota not only to women. ‘You can look
friendship and family begins.
definitely; La0tifah, Jennifer at the poster and see it’s only
Hudson, Sophie Okonedo; Alicia marketed towards women!’ she
Universal themes
Keys was the one that came along smiles. ‘But the great thing is
Originally a novel by author Sue
later. But once I saw the three when husbands or boyfriends are
Monk Kidd, the film was one
together and put them together in dragged to it, they come out being
Gina had wanted to make for
a room, I could tell that they would as moved by it as the women.’
a long time. ‘I loved the book,
be really believable as sisters’.
Dealing with racism
tremendously! I cried when I
read it and thought there were
Freedom to vote But things haven’t always been
some universal themes within
The film is in based South Carolina easy for the mother-of-two –
it’, she says calmly. ‘Then also
and is set soon after The Voting married to fellow writer/director
the Boatwright sisters, I had
Rights Act of 1965 had been Reggie Rock Bythewood. She has
never seen black women like that
signed. The Act allowed the found life can be difficult as a black
portrayed on film and thought the
thousands of African-American female director. ‘I have dealt with it
chance to bring them to life would
who had previously been barred – racism, pretty much face-to-face.
have been a gift – I felt like I had to
from voting, the freedom to register But I feel like for the most part, my
make the film.’ The movie boasts
to vote. Now, there have been a choices are more discriminated
number of films that depict the against, in that a lot of the things I
racial tensions within the Deep wanna focus on are female-driven
South of America and people will or black female-driven and those
be wondering what this film will are the toughest things to get
bring to that genre. made,’ she explains. ‘But for the
‘The fact that this unique family most part, I am able to just push
is formed between the Boatwright them aside easily enough to just
Sisters, Rosaleen and Lily – a focus on what I’m trying to do and
young white girl’, she states in a continue to believe that talent has
controlled and thought-out manner. no race or gender.’
ds by Karla Williams
This kind of relationship hasn’t
or
been explored in such an historic The Secret Life Of Bees is
W
context before. ‘It’s really important in cinemas nationwide
35
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40