TIFF 2016 Exclusive: Lupita Nyong’o Talks ‘Queen Of Katwe’Posted by Wilson Morales
September 19, 2016
Making its World Premiere at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival was Disney’s QUEEN OF KATWE starring Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo and newcomer Madina Nalwanga.
QUEEN OF KATWE is based on the vibrant true story of Phiona Mutesi, a young girl from the streets of rural Uganda who is introduced to the game of chess by Robert Katende, a former missionary and soccer coach, and goes on to become an international chess champion.
For 10-year-old Phiona Mutesi (Nalwanga) and her family, life in the impoverished slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle. Her mother, Harriet (Nyong’o), is fiercely determined to take care of her family and works tirelessly selling vegetables in the market to make sure her children are fed and have a roof over their heads. When Phiona meets Robert Katende (Oyelowo), a soccer player turned missionary who teaches local children chess, she is captivated. Chess requires a good deal of concentration, strategic thinking and risk taking, all skills which are applicable in everyday life, and Katende hopes to empower youth with the game.
For Nyong’o, the film gave the Oscar winner the opportunity to work and reunite with Nair. Nyong’o has known Nair before she started acting and even interned for her over ten years. 2016 has been a great year thus far for Nyong’o. Earlier this year, she received a Tony Award nomination for her theater work in playwright and actress Danai Gurira’s ‘Eclised,’ and she was also featured in the blockbuster Disney film ‘The Jungle Book.‘ To top things off, she was also cast in Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ as a member of Black Panther’s security team, the Dora Milaje. Joining her in the film will be Gurira.
Blackfilm.com caught up with Nyong’o while at TIFF and she discussed her experience working on ‘Queen of Katwe’ and the upcoming comic book film.
Of all the movies and roles you get offered, what was the inspiration to doing this one?
Lupita Nyong’o: First of all, Mira Nair was directing it. She’s a director that I’ve had a long relationship with in other capacities. I’ve always wanted to work with her in front of the camera. It was also because it was a true story and an uplifting story from the African continent about a small girl with a big dream, and that achieves that big dream. That’s something very close to my heart. I’d achieved my dream quite recently in a very big way. I was offered the opportunity to play a person that sees the world completely differently from how I see it.
Harriet, Fiona’s mother, was a woman who has been through a lot of struggle and has had many challenges and is suspicious and discouraging of dreaming because of the disappointment it can lead to. I was so interested in exploring that viewpoint and finding the humanity and truth of that way of seeing the world. Harriet’s journey is one where she has to learn that love cannot be fearful, that actually truly loving your child is having the courage to let them go.
Being that this is based on a true story, how much research did you do besides what you were given?
Lupita Nyong’o: Tons. I had the ESPN article that Tim Crothers wrote and then I had the book to read as well, called Queen of Katwe. I did as much research online as I could. The heart of my research, the meat of it, was going to Uganda. I went there about 3 weeks or so before we started filming just to immerse myself in the place, the culture, the language, the food, and of course to meet Harriet herself. I spent time with her. I observed her in motion, her behavior. I asked her a lot of questions about herself. Besides this story, who was she? What did she like to do? What songs did she like to sing?
That was very, very helpful to really just humanize and deepen my understanding of her and the world that she grew up in.
Can talk to me about the interaction and the chemistry you developed with the actress playing Fiona and playing a mother, not just to one, but many children?
Lupita Nyong’o: I know. The wonderful thing about making this film is that the people that it was about were there. I remember the real Fiona Mutesi took me on a tour of Katwe, showed me the places they lived, the places that where they took shelter when they had no place to stay. I saw Katwe through her eyes. Robert was always on set. He was out chess consultant. There were parcel of this telling of their story and that felt really meaningful.
They was obviously my onscreen family. It was very daunting to play the mother of 4 children. Harriet had her first child when she was 15 so she’s a very young mother. This is very common in Katwe. There’s lots of young single mothers. The average age is 14 years in Katwe.
It took opening up to the children and forming bonds with each individual child to make it possible. I learned Uganda to talk to the youngest one. He didn’t speak any English. He didn’t trust me because I didn’t speak any Uganda so I had to learn Uganda to interact with him.
With the others we went on an excursion to the market with Harriet who has also sold corn in her past. I asked her to show me what she would buy to make a typical Uganda meal. She facilitated the whole thing. We went back to her home and she taught me how to make the meal. That served to deepen my understanding of how to be a mother to these kids. It also broke the ice between us and we were able to start forming a bond and a chemistry that we could then take to the shooting of the film.
You don’t have that much interaction with David Oyelowo, and he’s intrical in the story as well. You guys are going to be working again down the road. Did you guys know each other before then or just met on the film?
Lupita Nyong’o: We met actually while I was promoting ’12 Years a Slave’ and he was promoting ‘Selma.’ It was the same year so we actually met at an event. I can’t remember what event it was. It was an Academy event. I admired him for a long time. He being of African decent, he’s on my radar. I watched his work diligently. He was very warm and generous with me when I met him. He was very encouraging, but also challenged me to take charge. He was the one who said, “Get your own stuff made.”
At the time I was in the process of trying to get the rights for Americana and fully intending to turn around and ask him to be in it. We’ve had that history. This was just another bonus. When I read the script and I was asked, “Who do you think should play Robert Katende?” He was the only person that came to mind. I was so delighted to learn that he was already being courted for the role.
You mentioned you’ve worked with Mira in other capacities, but talk about working with her now as your director? You’re friends, you’ve worked with her, but now you’re working with her in a different capacity?
Lupita Nyong’o:This was a goal and this was the dream to work with Mira as an actor. Having that past with her I knew her, I knew her personality. That was helpful because one thing about Mira is she doesn’t mince her words. She will tell you exactly who she feels. I love that because you know exactly where you stand. I trust her so much. I trust her eye. I trust he sensibility. I trust her intentions. I couldn’t think of another director to make this movie, especially because she’s lived in Uganda for over 20 years. I knew she would bring authenticity and nuance.
She’s the director that knows to have the roasted chicken on sticks come into the shot of being sold while they’re in the bus, the vendors. She knows to do that. She’s the one who understand those kinds of things that make this place so specific, and also so natural. She doesn’t exotify. She’s telling the story from inside out. I feel so blessed to have had this chance with her to tell a story that is home grown.
You’ve had a great year so far when you think about Jungle Book, the theater show ‘Eclipsed,’ being Tony nominated, being cast in Black Panther and making your appearance at Comic-Con. You’ve got so much coming up. You’re going to be working again with Danai Gurira on Black Panther. Can you talk about the opportunity to work with her again?
Lupita Nyong’o: I know. It’s been a good year. In one year I played a 15-year-old and now I’m playing a mother of 4. It’s cool. I love how diverse my experience has been thus far in my professional work. Comic-Con was a duzy. Everyone was like, “Comic-Con, that’s crazy.” Black Panther was a secret. We had a very, very tame Comic-Con experience. The fandom was palpable. Everyone in there is so, so hyped about what they’re seeing, what’s coming out. It was cool to be a part of it, and then to be in Black Panther with Danai. It just doesn’t get any better then that. She’s an actress that I love. I was in her play. I worked with her closely on that. We’ve been friends for so long and now we finally get to work together. It doesn’t get any better then that.
To work with Ryan Coogler and Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan, all people that I just adore. I think we’re going to have a really good time. I think I foresee some very good partying as well.
Queen of Katwe hits theaters on September 23, 2016
Clip – Opportunity
