David Oyelowo and the family stopped by the Virgin Atlantic screening of Queen of Katwe on Sunday. The premiere was a part of the 60th BFI London Film Festival at Odeon Leicester Square in London, England, and featured the Oyelowos in the spotlight.
David and his wife, Jessica, stood beside each other while embracing the younger members of the family. The Oyelowos’ older sons stood beside their dad who was all smiles on the red carpet.
David is one of the main characters in Queen of Katwe. The storyline centers around a young girl named Phiona who lives in the slums of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda. Her perspective on life changes when she discovers her talent for playing chess. Phiona travels the world as a champion of the game and revolutionizes Katwe in the process.
Queen of Katwe resonates with David Oyelowo for more reasons than one. “As a person of African descent myself, I’ve felt that there haven’t been enough of these kinds of stories,” he said during a recent interview. “We’ve seen a lot of the negative side of life in terms of Africa but this is a life-affirming story. This is universal in its theme of a young girl with a dream and achieving it, and so I wanted to see that in the world.”
Lupita Nyong’o, who stars alongside Oyelowo in the movie, also commented on the film. “The fact it was an African story, one that was positive and heartwarming, we don’t get many of those given this platform,” she explained. “I think it’s in telling specific stories that you open the world to the universality that exists everywhere in the world.”
Lupita Nyong’o was raised in Kenya while David Oyelowo is of Nigerian descent. Queen of Katwe is in theaters nationwide. Watch the film’s trailer below!
Photo: Getty Images
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