I Have No Interest In Films Without A Message

The Hate U Give is already being hailed as one of the most important films of the year. Hannah Flint speaks to Amandla Stenberg, its breakout star.

- Hannah Flint

THERE’S A MOMENT in The Hate U Give when its main character, Starr Carter, climbs on to a car bonnet in the middle of a Black Lives Matter protest and grabs a megaphone. She’s there for her best friend Khalil, a young, unarmed black man who was murdered by a white police officer right in front of her. Up until that moment, she’s largely remained silent, terrified of the repercussions of speaking out. But then she sees hundreds of people protesting Khalil’s death before a sea of riot police and, taking hold of the megaphone – tears streaming down her face – she quite literally finds her voice.

Amandla Stenberg, the LA-born actor who brilliantly plays Starr, has seemingly had far less difficulty finding hers. A bona fide Insta-activist, she (Amandla has also used the pronouns ‘they’ and ‘them’ and came out as gay in June) speaks up on racism, the importance of voting and sexual harassment. Last week, she was named as one of Time magazine’s ‘next generation leaders’ and wrote a powerful piece about her experiences of sexual harassment. Meanwhile, Beyoncé once told her that she wants her daughter Blue Ivy to be just like her when she grows up. But despite being tipped as one of Hollywood’s most exciting new young talents, Amandla, who turns 20 next week, has one rule: no roles that don’t serve a purpose.