‘Queen Of Katwe’: The Inspiring Story Behind The Inspiring Disney Film
There hasn’t been much fanfare for the movie Queen of Katwe by Disney, which debuts in theaters tomorrow, but much went into this inspiring story that stars Golden Globe nominee David Oyelowo and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o. Created with cooperation from ESPN Films, the true story could be the most inspiring film about chess ever created, and for Nyong’o, it was life changing.
“It was the first time in a while that I had been so enlivened, inspired and challenged by a role I was considering,” she says in a press release for the film. “I immediately sent an email to my representatives saying, ‘I must do this film.'”
Filmed in Katwe and Kibuli in Kampala, Uganda, Queen of Katwe tells a very unbelievable story (that is completely true) in a very real environment, the slums of Katwe. Not a very glamorous space for a Hollywood movie.
Queen of Katwe begins with young Phiona Mutesi (played by Madina Nalwanga) helping her mother by selling vegetables on the streets, instead of attending school. Her family sleeps on the dirt floor of their rental shack. One day Phiona meets Robert Katende (David Oyelowo), a missionary that runs a chess club, and her life begins its long journey for change. Phiona not only masters the game, but becomes a chess champion that eventually allows her and her family to move out of the slums and into a real home while bringing pride and joy into her country.
“Before I met Robert and started playing chess, I had lost all hope,” says Mutesi. “I was sad because I recently lost my dad and there was no money for school and I thought I would always be living on the streets. Since then, I have travelled to many different countries and met many wonderful people who I never expected to meet, which has helped restore my hope. I thank God that I met Robert and learned to play chess, because it is chess that made all these things possible.”
Queen of Katwe is directed by Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay!, Mississippi Masala, and Monsoon Wedding) and is produced by Lydia Dan Pilcher.
“I love the female protagonist, the coming-of-age story and watching this young girl change and grow into this mature sophisticated teenager in the course of learning the game of chess,” says Pilcher. “Robert told me Phiona didn’t believe in herself for a long time, but when I first met her I was struck by her maturity and poise. She had this lovely sense of self-possession.”
As the film takes place over four years, the casting of Phiona had to be perfect and took the better part of a year to find 14-year-old Madina Nalwanga out of some 700 candidates from the U.K., South Africa, East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Ironically, she was found just 15 minutes away from Katwe. Casting director Dinaz Staff found Madina at the Sosolya Undugu Dance Academy.
“While slightly older than what we were originally looking for, she was simply electric,” says Stafford. “I asked her to audition for the role and filmed her on my phone doing a simple scene, and felt that she had the confidence to take on the part.”
Like the character she plays, Madina herself sold corn on the street with her brother when she was just 4 years old before the academy rescued her.
“Phiona’s story is like my story,” Madina says. “Her background is like my background, but for her it was chess that changed everything and for me it was dancing and singing.”
Nyong’o plays Phiona’s strong-willed and proud mother in Queen of Katwe who ultimately became an inspiration for Phiona to rise above her circumstances. Nyong’o was very impressed with Madina’s acting as well.
“Seeing Madina grow on a day-to-day basis and from scene to scene was spellbinding. She has an instinct for this thing called acting. Mira never has to tell her anything twice. By the next take she will have deepened her understanding of the dynamic, what’s happening in the moment and she’ll give you something else.”
RELATED REPORTS FROM INQUISITR:
DC Comics Movies: ‘There’s A Little Room For Improvement,’ Admits Time Warner Chief
“You have to be very well disciplined to be an actor,” says Nalwanga, “And you need to be respectful to everyone. I made so many friends during filming and think of them now as my family. I will carry everyone’s laugh in my heart and will never forget this experience.”
[Featured Image by Disney/ESPN Films]
