TORONTO 鈥� Trailblazing director Ava DuVernay said Thursday she was 鈥渙verjoyed鈥� to learn the Hollywood actors鈥� strike had ended while she was in Toronto to help salute Viola Desmond, calling the news 鈥渄eeply meaningful鈥� to happen while christening a new theatre in the Canadian civil rights hero鈥檚 name.
Her comments followed an eventful Wednesday evening at TIFF Bell Lightbox, where the Viola Desmond Cinema opened with a special presentation of DuVernay鈥檚 upcoming film, 鈥淥rigin.鈥� During the screening, news broke that unionized Hollywood actors reached a tentative deal with the major studios and streamers, ending a historic, months-long labour dispute that has shaken the entertainment industry on both sides of the border.
In a post-film Q&A with DuVernay, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey began by remarking, 鈥淐ongratulations on this incredible film, and it鈥檚 a big night for another reason: The strike is over!鈥�
The cinephiles in the audience erupted in applause.
On Thursday, DuVernay said she learned the strike had ended from 鈥淥rigin鈥� star Aunjanue Ellis, who called during the screening.
鈥淚 put [Aunjanue] on FaceTime, and she鈥檚 screaming and she鈥檚 happy and she鈥檚 smiling,鈥� said DuVernay, whose credits include the Oscar-nominated documentary 鈥�13th鈥� and the Emmy-winning limited series 鈥淲hen They See Us.鈥�
鈥淎nd she just says, 鈥業t鈥檚 over! It鈥檚 over!鈥� And I just thought, 鈥榃hat a night. I felt like we were blessed by Viola Desmond in some way to say, 鈥楰eep going.鈥欌��
TIFF Bell Lightbox renamed its largest theatre the Viola Desmond Cinema in honour of the Black Canadian civil rights activist who took a stand against racial segregation in 1946, refusing to leave a whites-only area at a cinema in New Glasgow, N.S.
The rebranding comes with a $2 million fundraising campaign to champion Black women creators.
DuVernay joined Bailey and members of Desmond鈥檚 family for the unveiling of a silver plaque emblazoned 鈥淰iola Desmond Cinema.鈥�
DuVernay said she hadn鈥檛 heard of Desmond until she was asked to participate in the cinema鈥檚 reveal.
鈥淚 was upset that I hadn't learned about her, not that I need to know everything in Canadian history, but this is pretty significant,鈥� she said.
鈥淚'm a Black woman in film. This woman made history in a movie house. I'd never heard her name before this summer, when Cameron Bailey called and said, 鈥榃ould you like to come commemorate the theatre of Viola Desmond?鈥� I said, 鈥榁iola Davis?鈥� He said, 鈥楴o, Viola Desmond.鈥�
鈥淎nd then I said, 鈥榃ait, she鈥檚 on your money?鈥欌��
DuVernay said Desmond鈥檚 story of defiance and courage immediately resonated with her.
鈥淚 feel a personal connection to people who are pioneers and people who've pushed past the obstacles of their birth, of the random selection of your gender and your race and wherever in the world you were born.鈥�
The director said learning about the strike's end during the inaugural screening in Desmond鈥檚 cinema was 鈥渁ll so beautifully symmetrical and aligned that it felt like it was meant to be.鈥�
Earlier this year, DuVernay became the first African American woman to have a film compete at the Venice Film Festival with 鈥淥rigin.鈥� She鈥檚 excited that the film鈥檚 actors can now join her in the promotional run.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been only me being able to talk about a picture that I collaborated on with other artists,鈥� she said.
鈥淛ust to be able to sit side-by-side with the actors and talk about what we've done and present it and share it, it feels like a new lease on life.鈥�
鈥淥rigin鈥� is inspired by Isabel Wilkerson鈥檚 acclaimed non-fiction book, 鈥淐aste: The Origins of Our Discontents.鈥� Ellis portrays Wilkerson as she researched and wrote the book while grappling with the loss of her husband, mother and cousin. It鈥檚 set for wide release on Jan. 19, 2024.
Ever since the strike ended, 鈥淥rigin鈥濃�檚 actors have been blowing up DuVernay鈥檚 phone asking for the film鈥檚 assets.
鈥淓veryone was texting me this morning saying 鈥業 need pictures! I need the trailer!鈥� Because they haven't been able to even post on social media. Niecy Nash hit me up this morning at 6 a.m. Toronto time. She's in Los Angeles, so that's 3 a.m. her time. She's like, 鈥業 need pictures to post on IG!鈥� So everyone's excited.鈥�
鈥� Alex Nino Gheciu is a freelance writer based in Toronto.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2023.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
