Whose Story Is It?

Remember all the fuss around Marieke Lucas Rijneveld – a white poet - translating the inauguration poem by Amanda Gorman – an African American poet? The inappropriate adoption of elements of a given culture or identity by members of another culture or identity is nowadays the subject of arduous debates among artists all over the world. Yet, many creatives see it is an opportunity: “We found whenever we were made aware of these nuances and addressed them, it really helped in terms of representation, but it also just helped in terms of storytelling,” said Mexican American Adrian Molina, who was promoted from screenwriter to co-director on Pixar’sCoco in 2015.

Some are afraid because it raises tons of questions. Can a man make a film about giving birth? Can a Nigerian story be translated by a Chinese-Indonesian translator? Can a white middle-aged woman tell a story about the life of a young black woman?

Let’s discuss! This panel welcomes Michiel Snijders & Iven Cudogham (creatives behind TV seriesAnansi), storyteller Onias Landveld. Panel is moderated by Audrey Labadie. This talk will be held in the Eye foyer.

Panel co-curated with Omroep ZWART.