Mira Nair

In this episode of 'The Art of Directing', presented by actress Cush Jumbo, we explore the life and career of award-winning film maker Mira Nair. Perhaps best known for winning the Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival for her universally acclaimed family drama Monsoon Wedding (2001), Nair's career has been as varied as it is surprising. From working with a young Denzel Washington in Mississippi Masala (1991) to making Queen of Katwe (2016), a Disney film about a young chess champion, her unpredictable artistic choices have entranced audiences across the globe for over three decades. Nair's democratic style of filmmaking is unique for blurring the lines between documentary and fiction with its use of real life locations and non-actors, including her own family. In this programme we meet Mira in her home in Uganda where she opens up about her origins in political theatre and documentary film making, takes us behind the scenes at her film school Maisha Film Laboratory and discusses what it took to challenge the Western dominance of the film industry.