Idris Elba wrote an essay on the importance of protecting independent cinemas and the need for progression in the film industry as a whole, reports Anika Khan.
The renowned actor wrote about the importance of diversity in independent films, stating: “I wouldn’t be here without it”.
Reflecting on his life and career in The Times, Elba highlighted the importance of protecting independent cinemas in the wake of COVID-19.
He said: “We all express ourselves through the stories we tell, what we watch and the communities we create. One person’s film culture is watching Spider-Man at the Rio, another’s is going to a Kurosawa season at the BFI or catching the new Christopher Nolan movie at an Imax. But it’s those smaller independent and community cinemas that have been hardest hit by the lockdown.”
He also discussed the struggles of the ‘low- budget independent films’ on raising money and making distribution deals amidst the pandemic and urged for the government to support the independent film industry.
Elba also noted the power of deeply-personal films such as ‘Moonlight’, ‘Blue story’ and ‘Parasite’ and emphasised the importance of representation. He said: “A nation finally acknowledging its diversity needs a diverse film culture — we have to protect it at the time we need it most.”
