Rivers State born film director, Chinonye Chukwu, has been chosen to direct ‘A Taste of Power’, the film about the life of female Black Panther Party chairwoman, Elaine Brown, written in 1992.
Chukwu, whose work, ‘Clemency’, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2019, is a film activist and is said to be best suited for the job. One of the film’s producers, Robbie Brenner, had this to say about the choice of Chukwu:
“We cannot think of a more fearless filmmaker than Chinonye Chukwu, whose nuanced filmmaking, coupled with her activism and outreach, makes her the perfect person to tackle Elaine’s incredible story.”
Brenner
In addition to ‘Clemency’, which she wrote and directed, and for which she and her team received a standing ovation at the U.S. Dramatic Competition, Chukwu has also directed ‘Alaskaland’, ‘A Long Walk’, ‘Dust’, and ‘Bottom’ among others.
Chukwu is a professor at the College of Liberal Arts, Wright State University, Ohio. She is a recipient of the Princess Grace Award. Her short film, ‘The Dance Lesson’, was a Regional Finalist at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Student Academy Awards in 2010, and received the Honorary Mention at the Los Angeles International Film Festival. Her other work ‘Igbo Kwenu!’ received the PIFVA Subsidy Grant from the independent film community. The film also won the “Best Motion Picture” and “Best Screenplay” awards at the Diamond Screen Festival in 2009.
Black Panther Party Chief
Elaine Brown, the protagonist of the film, is an activist, writer, and singer based in Oakland, California. She led the Black Panther Party between 1974 and 1977. These were some of the most turbulent times for the party, but she led it amidst police threats and opposition from several party members. Brown ran twice for the office of Councilwoman in Oakland, and had an unsuccessful run for the Green Party presidential nomination in 2008.
The film, an adaptation of her 1992 memoir, is expected to capture key moments in her life as a social activist.
Sources: PM News Nigeria
Featured image source: depauw.edu