Kathleen on REAL LIFE, REAL ART

Kathleen Norris on REAL LIFE, REAL ART: AN ACTOR’S INSPIRING JOURNEY

Becoming King is a remarkably moving documentary, one that David Oyelowo agreed to let his wife, actor Jessica Oyelowo, make about his struggle to get the film Selma made, and the daunting task he faced in portraying Martin Luther King. It made me conclude that getting any serious film made is a miracle. From 2007-2014 Selma had four would-be directors, including Spike Lee and Lee Daniels. Oyelowo’s convincing Oprah Winfrey to become a producer helped with financing, but it was an encounter with a stranger on an airplane that led Oyelowo to director Ava DuVernay, who finally closed the deal. In 2014 Selma was nominated for a best picture Oscar.