Melina Matsoukas is a film director known for her contributions to the hit television show, ‘Insecure’ and for her Grammy and MTV Video Music awards. She directed the 2016 ‘Formation’ video for Beyonce; a song that boast female unity, confidence and is filled with images of Louisiana Creole culture and references police brutality.
Melina credits black women for her career success saying that she is here because of black women. In a recent interview with Essence, she says, “All the women who have given me opportunities in my career have been black women. They have supported me, thrown their arms around me and raised me up. And I do the same for them because they are my sisters.” (Essence.com, 2019)
Her latest project, ‘Queen and Slim’, written by Lena Waithe and James Fry is set in the city of Cleveland, Ohio. It’s a romantic drama starring ‘Get Out’ actor Daniel Kaluuya and actress Jodie Turner-Smith. In the film, the two are caught in an unexpected series of events following their first date when they are pulled over by police for a routine traffic stop. Things quickly go left, and the couple find themselves on the run. The movie releases in theaters nationwide this Thanksgiving week on November 27th, 2019 and is Melina’s feature directorial debut.