Have you seen the documentary “Music By Prudence” yet? It’s playing on HBO now after winning the Oscar this year for best documentary (short form). It’s the story of Prudence Mabhena, born severely disabled and rejected by her parents and society in Zimbabwe. She then discovers her gift for singing and songwriting while attending a school for the disabled.
Saturday night I was asked to conduct a live stage interview after a screening of the movie with the director Roger Ross Williams and Prudence Mabhena. (Roger is the director who got Kanye’d by the film’s producer when he was giving his acceptance speech…the lady who interrupted him). Roger and Prudence have an interesting dynamic between them and we explored that on stage and other aspects of making the movie. The audience in Metuchen, New Jersey (where there’s a series of film screenings by Oscar winners) was engaged, responsive and into the movie (and thank you for the generous comments so many of you offered me about the interview, I am more than grateful.)
This is the second stage interview I’ve done this month with an Oscar winner… a couple weeks back I did one with Pamela Tanner Boll (“Born Into Brothels” and “Who Does She Think She Is?”) and that also went great.
I love the energy of an interview in front of live audience and these have been incredible and talented artists to interview.