The Oscar-winning filmmaker spoke about the late Chadwick Boseman with Ryan Coogler, touched on his legacy with Jodie Foster and received tributes from Rosie Perez, Angela Bassett and the cast of ‘Da 5 Bloods’.
In a normal year, fundraising for the American Cinematheque would have been a dazzling affair with big stars, a packed red carpet and sleek cuts. Initial anecdotes would have flowed as heavily as champagne from the stage, and the event would conclude with a gracious acceptance speech of the night’s tribute.
With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging, this is not a normal time. Los Angeles, home of the American Cinematheque and its event, is still at the center of the outbreak, so large-scale gatherings have been hampered. The organization, like so many others, opted Thursday night for a virtual presentation to honor Spike Lee with the 34th U.S. Cinematheque Award.
In doing so, event producers turned on the format. Oscar winner and former American Cinematheque honoree, Jodie Foster, served as host and was also tasked with moderating a lengthy question and answer session with Lee that spanned the nearly 90-minute program. It was interspersed with casual conversations that paired Lee’s numerous collaborators and ended with the awarding of the cast of Lee’s latest, Netflix’s. Da 5 bloods, with Jonathan Majors, Delroy Lindo, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Clarke Peters and Norm Lewis.
“There are filmmakers who create entertainment for the world, and there are those who comment on our world,” Majors said. “Personally, I do not know another person who creates both so naturally and so honestly.” Majors then said it was time to present the trophy, but not by hand, because “Dr. Fauci says so.”
Lee, comfortably dressed in a bucket hat with his branded glasses, kept his speech short and sweet. He thanked all collaborators in front and behind the camera for four decades. “You know I love you,” he said, adding, “Thank you for the support you have given me over the years. Let’s keep going. ‘
That ended the show, but no one could blame Lee for keeping it short, because at that point, his questions and answers with Foster took up so much ground. After praising her “wonderful” girlfriend as a filmmaker, teacher and social commentator, Foster, who starred in his 2006 film Within man, Lee asked how it feels to receive something like a lifelong award. “I’m 63,” he says, noting his date of birth, March 20, 1957, the first day of spring. ‘That’s the point, though: if you love what you do, you can postpone Father Time. I still have some joints to make. ‘
He has already made more than two dozen and Foster has asked Lee to summarize his approach to legacy. “From the beginning, I wanted to build a lot of work because I noticed that the great artists I loved honed their work. It was not just one,” he replied. “They kept working on their craft, on their craft, on the craft. For me, it was the model.”
She also asked about receiving his work and Lee said he knows many of his films were not immediately connected to the public, referring to Bamboozled and 25th hour as examples. But ‘sooner or later people will catch up’, he added. Lee also said he was caught up on how to work well with actors through his third film, Do the right thing. He credited Daze School star Laurence Fishburne with valuable input on the process. “We had some discussions and he was dissatisfied with my language to him and other actors because he, rightly, felt that I was not giving what they needed. But I did not know of better.”
Although Fishburne was not on the program, collaborators were some of his best-known works. Those who teamed up to discuss Lee’s impact and influence include Malcolm X editor Barry Alexander Brown with Jungle fever editor Sam Pollard; Clockers casting director Robi Reed with BlacKkKlansman cast director Kim Coleman; Mo ‘Better Blues director of photography Ernest Dickerson with 4 Little Girls DP Ellen Kuras; Do the right thing producers Monty Ross and Jon Kilik; Bamboozled costume designer Ruth E. Carter with She must have it production designer Wynn Thomas; and Chi-Raq star Angela Bassett with Da 5 bloods star Delroy Lindo.
Also appears Black panther director Ryan Coogler who joined Foster and Lee for a quick cameo. Both Coogler and Lee worked with the late Chadwick Boseman, and it was Lee who said he needed to address it. “You know, I haven’t talked about Chad in public yet, except to write a few words,” Coogler said. “I loved him. I miss him. His talent was so strong that he was with us, so much, even though he was with us for a limited time. He gave us infinitely many gifts.”
Coogler asked Lee why education has been so important throughout his career. The Morehouse and NYU alum, who currently teaches film school, said he comes from a long line of teachers (his mother and grandmother) and it improves his life. “I’ve always felt that if you’re a teacher or professor and not learning from your students, then you’re learning.”
Rosie Perez, who starred Do the right thing, her comments focus on how Lee mixed social commentary with a true commitment to philanthropy. “Spike Lee’s storytelling goes beyond the page or screen to his community, his culture and the people he shares this world with, people affected by natural disasters, people in need of better education, medical care, the quality of life of the older generation and the younger generation’s need to get a leg up in life.It’s no secret that when Spike Lee has something to say, he speaks very loudly, trust me, but the difference is that he usually speaks for others, not for himself. ‘