Three years ago, director Amma Asante broke out with “Belle,” her very well received drama about a mixed race woman being raised amongst the aristocracy of 18th century England. And now she returns with another tale where race is the focus, but it’s one from the not too distant past.
Starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike, the 1940s-set “A United Kingdom” tells the true story of the first President Of Botswana, who was forced into exile in England, all for choosing to marry a white woman. “I was so struck by the level of challenge they faced simply for falling in love with each other that I became completely intoxicated with it,” Oyelowo told EW. “I also realized in reading the story I had never seen an African love story of this cinematic scope. It spoke to me as an African, as a man, as a romantic.”
Potent stuff, and a possible awards contender. The film will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and opens in the UK on November 25th (there’s no U.S. distribution at the moment).