The problem of discrimination against certain ethnicities in the movie and TV industries is not just a problem in the U.S. In this article, the author discusses a movie she had seen called Beyond the Lights, in which a famous singer can't take the stardom anymore and tries to kill herself, but a police officer stops her from jumping off of her balcony. The two of them instantly feel an attraction for each other and over the course of the movie, they try to diverge from the paths that others had already planned out for them.
Looks like a compelling story, right? The only problem is that both of the lead stars are black. Because of this, UK cinemas refused to release this film on the big screen because not as many people are compelled to see a "black" movie. What? Just because there are black people in this movie does not mean that it is specifically about African Americans. It is about people, period. Labeling it like this makes it sound like it is only for black audiences, when in fact it is intended for all people who enjoy drama and romance, which I'm sure would hold a much wider demographic. As Corrina Antrobus puts it in the article, "'Black' is a skin color, not a movie genre."
So instead of showing in theaters in the UK, Beyond the Lights went straight to DVD, leaving director Gina Prince-Bythewood a fraction of the earnings and recognition she deserves for this film.
Looks like a compelling story, right? The only problem is that both of the lead stars are black. Because of this, UK cinemas refused to release this film on the big screen because not as many people are compelled to see a "black" movie. What? Just because there are black people in this movie does not mean that it is specifically about African Americans. It is about people, period. Labeling it like this makes it sound like it is only for black audiences, when in fact it is intended for all people who enjoy drama and romance, which I'm sure would hold a much wider demographic. As Corrina Antrobus puts it in the article, "'Black' is a skin color, not a movie genre."
So instead of showing in theaters in the UK, Beyond the Lights went straight to DVD, leaving director Gina Prince-Bythewood a fraction of the earnings and recognition she deserves for this film.
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