Last King of Scotland Screened in Uganda
Again, if you are a member of the Academy and read this blog, The Corsair asks you to consider Who was a better actor this year than Forest Whitaker? His portrayal of Idi Amin, the brutal Ugandan dictator who killed members of my family was astonishing. From the NYPost:
"Forest Whitaker said Saturday that his portrayal of Idi Amin in the award-winning movie 'The Last King of Scotland' was made stronger by filming in Uganda, where more than 500,000 people disappeared during the brutal dictator's rule.
"Whitaker, who has been nominated for an Academy Award, returned to the country for the East Africa premiere of the film at a Kampala cineplex on Saturday night. The cast and crew were welcomed by traditional drummers wearing black and white monkey-skin headdresses and members of the country's elite, many dressed in tartan.
"... President Yoweri Museveni attended the premiere Saturday night, along with director Kevin Macdonald and James McCoy, who played the Scottish doctor.
"They walked down a red carpet into a cineplex on the top floor of a shopping mall - a humble opening by Hollywood standards. Bemused shoppers watched the revelry from afar, not certain what was happening because the event was not widely publicized.
"Macdonald told reporters earlier that he originally intended to make the film in South Africa, but changed his mind after visiting Uganda to research the film.
"'We all fell in love with this place and we realized the film would be so much richer if it was made here,' he said."
2 comments:
I've always loved FW's work. You know that. Didn't realize how Amin's reign affected you and your family. Idi was buddy-buddy w/Ceausecu, pres and murderer/dictator of my mother country Romania, whose regime killed some of MY family in the early 70s. I agree w/you; FW gets the Oscar. Even if he doesn't.
Itg's amazing how the tyrants stick together. After Amin was deposed he was taken in by the House of Saud, where he ultimately died, with 4 wives and a $10,000 phone allowance, in one opf their Princely suites.
I only wish that Amin suffered the same fate as Caucescu opn National TV. In that sense, Uganda will never have a just closure.
We do have a lot in common, Bubbles.
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