← Blacks Behind the Camera

Slide-13

By Sonja Mack | Published June 4, 2010 | Full size is 500 × 415 pixels

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 -- Hamri’s 2008 movie, which showcased a multicultural cast that included Latina actress America Ferrera and three leading white actresses -- grossed $44 million worldwide and is an example of the type of movie Hamri says will help break down the walls of exclusion in Hollywood. The movie’s success made her the top-selling black female director that year. With her newest movie, Just Wright, a romantic comedy that stars producer Queen Latifah and rapper Common, Hamri wanted to tell a universal story of love that just happened to star black people. She says that creating such stories will require directors, studios, and producers to work together to ensure tone, language, and themes that are inclusive but still unique to cultural expression.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 — Hamri’s 2008 movie, which showcased a multicultural…