In 2000 Gina Prince-Bythewood gave us one of the great modern love stories in Love & Basketball, a film that starred two up and coming African-American actors in Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps. It took eight years before her next feature, The Secret Life of Bees, but what her fans had really been aching for was another insightful, passionate romance, and the wait is finally over with this weekend's release of Beyond the Lights.
Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who earned rave reviews earlier this year for Belle, and Nate Parker who has been great in everything from The Great Debaters to Ain't them Bodies Saints, the film is set against the backdrop of the music industry, following the romance that brews between a troubled singer and a protective LA cop. With my Addicted to Film colleague Tim Gordon, I had the chance to speak with Prince-Bythewood and Parker about the long wait between her movies, the difficulty in getting studios to support romance films with African-American stars, and much more. You can check out my review of Beyond the Lights here, and watch the interview below!
Interview: Gina Prince-Bythewood & Nate Parker of 'Beyond the Lights' by Punch Drunk Critics
