Movie Interviews

'Tell Them We Are Rising' Tackles Impact Of Historically Black Colleges

6:11pm February 18, 2018

NPR's Michel Martin talks with Stanley Nelson, who showcases the history of black colleges and universities in a new documentary Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities.

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L-R: Florence Kasumba as Ayo and Danai Gurira as Okoye in Black Panther.

Arts

Danai Gurira On Her 'Black Panther' Role: 'She Protects What We Would Have Been'

5:21pm February 17, 2018

by Michel Martin

The actress plays warrior Okoye in the new film. "The thing that really connected me ... was her love and her loyalty to this thing called Wakanda, this nation that was never colonized," she says.

The triangular patterns visible in Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther suit reflect what costume designer Ruth Carter calls "the sacred geometry of Africa."

Arts

'Black Panther' Costume Designer Draws On 'The Sacred Geometry Of Africa'

4:21pm February 16, 2018

by Mallory Yu

Ruth Carter is the costume designer for the Marvel's Black Panther movie. She talks about how she grounded the movie's futuristic look in the history and traditions of tribes from all over Africa.

Arts

How A Medically Induced Coma Led To Love, Marriage And The Oscar-Nominated 'Big Sick'

3:00pm February 16, 2018

Comic Kumail Nanjiani didn't think of marrying then-girlfriend Emily V. Gordon until he saw her in a coma. The couple co-wrote a romantic comedy based on the story. Originally broadcast July 12, 2017.

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Director Ryan Coogler attends the Black Panther BFI preview screening on February 9, 2018 in London, England.

Arts

Director Ryan Coogler Says 'Black Panther' Brought Him Closer To His Roots

2:32pm February 15, 2018

by David Greene

The new film imagines an African nation, rich in minerals and unscarred by colonialism and slavery; Coogler says he traveled to the continent to dig into the question of what it means to be African.

Excitement Builds Ahead Of 'Black Panther' Opening

5:44am February 13, 2018

The movie has a black superhero, a mostly black cast and is set in a futuristic society in Africa. David Green talks to journalist Trey Johnson about why it has such meaning for many people of color.

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"I really needed an actress for Florence who could have vulnerability but also reserve," Rees (L) says. "... And I knew that Mary (R) had that."

Dee Rees And Mary J. Blige Dug Into Their Roots To Make 'Mudbound'

1:02am February 11, 2018

by Michel Martin

The director and singer/actress both drew upon their families' history to make the Oscar-nominated film. "I think I'm always exploring this idea about the battle being bloodier at home," Rees says.

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Arts

Remembering John Mahoney, The Tony Award-Winning Actor And 'Frasier' Star

4:04pm February 09, 2018

Mahoney, who died Sunday, was born in Britain and didn't start acting until he was 37. He went on to appear in films like Say Anything and Barton Fink. Originally broadcast 1990.

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Director Quentin Tarantino and actress Uma Thurman pose at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014. He acknowledges convincing her to do a dangerous driving scene which ended in a crash.

Arts

Tarantino Says Uma Thurman's Car Stunt Was 'One Of The Biggest Regrets Of My Life.'

10:36pm February 06, 2018

by Richard Gonzales

The famed director responded to a New York Times account in which Thurman alleged that she was pressured by him to drive an unsafe car on a sandy road.

Gloria Allred is seen in Netflix's Seeing Allred. In the documentary, out this week, Allred shares how she became a champion for women's rights.

In A New Netflix Documentary, Gloria Allred Looks At Her Career And What's Next

5:13pm February 04, 2018

by Michel Martin

Gloria Allred has waged legal battles on behalf of victims of sexual assault, discrimination and harassment for decades. In a new documentary, Seeing Allred, she shares her story in her own words.