Friday 25 September 2009

LYDIA TALKS OF NEO-RACISM IN KENYAN FILM INDUSTRY


Lydia with Alex Konstantaras of Jitu Films and Lupita Nyongo

Veteran actress Lydia Nyambura who is now a film producer and director in the local film industry talked about her own frustrations.
The popular face in local productions said, “The problem with the local film industry is with the producers. Unfortunately, it’s never about your acting skills but rather, whether you are brown or yellow and skinny. The rest just doesn’t matter, not even how lousy your acting is. It’s about time local producers gave good actors credit, regardless of how dark skinned they may be.
“Why is it always about skin colour? I thought we were civilized people and way beyond that. I’d call that neo-racism where blacks discriminate against fellow blacks based on the tone of their skin. It's pathetic. I’ve had my fair share of discrimination owing to my dark complexion.”
Lydia refers to herself as an actor not as an actress because ‘why don’t they call female doctors doctresses, what’s with all this sexism?’

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