After demeaning Larry Madowo, Lupita Nyong’o now throws a major shade on poor struggling Kenyans
Barely a week after Kenyans trolled her, Lupita Nyong’o fires back.
Last week, Kenyans trolled Lupita Nyong’o for what they termed as showing attitude while being interviewed by Larry Madowo in Kampala.
Even before the dust settles on the controversial interview, Lupita pops with another statement that rubs poor Kenyans the wrong side.
The Hollywood actress blames Kenyans for buying cheap pirated movies oblivious of the fact that most people can afford to buy tickets to watch the movies at the cinemas.
“Hello everyone! Queen of Katwe has been a passion project and a labor of love for so many involved, and I am continuously, endlessly proud to be involved in some small way in telling this powerful true story of this remarkable girl from Uganda. I ran into a friend in Kenya recently who was very excited about the movie and couldn’t wait to see it. She asked me when it would be coming out in the cinemas, but before I could respond she added, “Don’t worry, I’ll wait and buy a bootleg DVD on the streets.” I was surprised that she would say that so freely, but I quickly realized that she meant it as a demonstration of her support. But what she was planning to do actually sends the opposite message of what she intended.” Lupita wrote in part.
She goes on to explain that buying cinema tickets would help finance more African films like ‘Queen of Katwe’.
A poster of Disney’s Queen of Katwe Photo/Courtesy
“The truth is, the best way to support films that feature people of color who are front and center of their own narratives is to purchase those cinema tickets. This way the studios see that our stories are valuable and profitable. If we want to see more African films, more films about girls and women, if we want to see more films that reflect the diverse world we live in, we need to financially support those films that are being made for us and by us.”
However true her words could be, Lupita has no idea majority of Kenyans don’t see the essence of paying a 500 shilling or more to watch a movie at the cinema when they can buy an entire series for 50 shillings.
The actress further reveals she also used to watch pirated movies but just because she couldn’t find the movies she wanted on cinemas; unlike most people who buy cheap pirated movies because they can’t afford cinema tickets.
“I grew up watching bootleg copies of movies, too. There was no other way to see the films I badly wanted to watch. But, with Queen of Katwe, they are playing the movie in theaters all around the world. I’ve included the names of all African theaters showing the film below.”
