Michaela Coel and director Aliyah Otchere on set to launch the new BMW Filmmaking Challenge in partnership with the British Film Institute.Michaela Coel and director Aliyah Otchere on set to launch the new BMW Filmmaking Challenge in partnership with the British Film Institute.Tue 31 Jan 2023 00.01 GMT
Throughout her career, Coel has said she sees her role in the industry as one of telling stories but also of making the process easier for other people – including by improving access and giving them the confidence and space to speak their truth.at the Edinburgh International television festival in 2018, she spoke about the racism she faced at drama school and her isolation in the industry, urging it to be more transparent and lift up voices like hers that had been silenced for too long.
Such stories are important because they afford “identification” to viewers, she added. “Other people in those communities can see someone like them speaking, they’ll know that they are seen and that they exist. “Woman King missing out was shocking, my mouth was open for ages,” Coel said. “I can’t get my head around it, I think I’m still in shock. So I can’t imagine what it must be like for Gina [Prince-Bythewood, the director], Viola [Davis], Lashana [Lynch], or Sheila [Atim]. I cannot imagine because they made history with that film.”
“I know how making something changes your life. I would encourage any young writer who feels discouraged to know the real reward is the act of pursuing your story. And my hope is that things change. They have to, otherwise it’s really depressing.”Black Panther: Wakanda Forever