Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o has made history by becoming the first black head of the Berlin International Film Festival jury.
The Berlinale, as it’s known, is one of the world’s top five film festivals and has been around for 74 years.
In the past, the event had never had a black person leading the jury.
This year, Lupita Nyong’o will be in charge of selecting the winning films in the Golden and Silver Bears categories.
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Other major film festivals like Cannes, Venice, Sundance, and Toronto have also faced criticism for their lack of diversity among their jurors
Cannes, for example, only had its first black jury president in 2020.
Nyong’o expressed her honor at being chosen as the jury president and emphasized the importance of diversity in the jury’s decision-making process.
She believes that having people from different backgrounds will bring a unique perspective to the selection process.
“We have a lot of world experience and opinion, and it’s gonna be interesting.
It’s probably also gonna be spicy,” Nyong’o said, referring to the diverse viewpoints among the jurors.
The festival’s directors, Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian explained that Nyong’o was selected because she represents what they value in cinema: versatility and the ability to connect with different audiences.
The Berlinale will continue until February 25, during which the jury will announce the winning films.
Among the 20 competing films, three are from Africa, telling diverse stories from the continent.