Africa-Press – Nigeria. Iconic film director Martin Scorsese delves into an investigation into the murders of Native Americans in his latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon.
The three-and-a-half-hour film, based on the 2017 book by investigative journalist David Grann, made its premiere on Wednesday, 27 September, in New York City’s Alice Tully Hall – ahead of its South African release in theatres on 20 October, followed by streaming at a later date on Apple TV+.
At the red carpet event, the 80-year-old spoke about how the movie’s universal themes transcended into the present day. “It’s more about a sense of entitlement, a clash of cultures, and misunderstanding each other,” Scorsese told News24.
He added:
The three-and-a-half-hour film, which took over six years to create with a budget of $200 million (R3.82 billion), stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Brendan Fraser, and Jesse Plemons – all of who were not able to attend the New York premiere due to the ongoing Hollywood actors strike.
After five months, the Hollywood WGA writers’ strike was declared over on 26 September, but SAG-AFTRA actors have continued to be on strike.
The stars were, however, present at the world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where Scorsese and cast and crew received a nine-minute record standing ovation.
The legendary filmmaker, whose movies include Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and The Wolf of Wall Street – has devoted the last five years to a passion project to preserve and restore African film through the African Film Heritage Project.
The joint collaboration between the iconic director’s Film Foundation and the World Cinema Project has commissioned 50 African films up for restoration and promotion to a broader audience.
“I have a deep passion for African cinema, and we found (Djibril Diop) Mambéty’s film, Touki Bouki,” said Scorsese – referring to the Senegalese movie released in 1973, which won the International Critics Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
“We’re restoring Souleymane Cissé’s film Yeelen, which I love. And about ten more right now, we aim for 50. We have 50 (African films), but it’s very difficult to find the negatives and find the people who own them.”
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