GLOBALISATION AT THE OSCARS

DJIMON HOUNSOU

Djimon Gaston Hounsou born April 24, 1964 in Cotonou, Benin. Former model, emigrated to France in 1977 and was discovered by Thierry Mugler, French fashion designer. After a career in modeling, landed a part in Without You I’m Nothing (1990), then receiving plum roles in Amistad (1997), Gladiator (2000), and with In America (2002) he became the first African (with Charlize Theron of South Africa, for a different film in the same year) to be nominated for an Oscar.

BLOOD DIAMOND Djimon Hounsou as Solomon Vandy stars in a story about a farmer, a smuggler and a syndicate of businessmen who match wits over the possession of a priceless diamond.

CHARLIZE THERON

Charlize Theron was born in Benoni, South Africa. She grew up as the only child on her family’s farm. Learned the some of her 8 languages from staff on this family farm. Her parents also owned a road construction business at the same time. At the age of 6, Charlize took up ballet and began to think of going professional. She would soon take her dancing ability to higher levels, going professional in the town of Johannesburg. At 13, in Johannesburg, her parents enrolled her in a boarding school. When she was 15, her father attacked her mother, and her mother shot her father in self-defense. Her father died, and her mother was not charged in the incident.

Charlize Theron and Nelson Mandela

Charlize began her modeling career in 1991 aged 16 when she won a local modeling contest. She started modeling in Europe and came to New York a year later. She didn’t like being a model though, and decided to try her luck with ballet, which had been her biggest passion as a child. Unfortunately, a knee injury prevented her from dancing. Her mother bought her a one-way ticket to Los Angeles in 1994 and Charlize started visiting all of the agents on Hollywood Bulevard but without any luck. She went to the bank to cash a check for $500 she’d got from her mother and became furious when she learned that the bank could not cash her check because it was an out-state check. She made a scene and an agent gave her his card, in exchange that she learn the language, which she did by watching soap operas on TV. Her first role was as a young mother in a park in a B-film in 1995, but it was a non-speaking role with three seconds of screen time. Her next role was as Helga in 2 Days in the Valley (1996), which landed her the role of Tina in That Thing You Do! (1996). Since then, she has starred in movies like The Devils Advocate (1997); The Cider House Rules (1999); and The Italian Job (2003). An important day in her life was February 29, 2004 when she was awarded with her first Academy Award for her performance in Monster (2003).

THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

The Last King of Scotland starring Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, is an incredible twist of fate. A Scottish doctor (McAvoy) on a Ugandan medical mission becomes irreversibly entangled with one of the world’s most barbaric figures: Idi Amin (Whitaker). Impressed by Dr. Garrigan’s brazen attitude in a moment of crisis, the newly self-appointed Ugandan President Amin hand picks him as his personal physician and closest confidante. Though Garrigan is at first flattered and fascinated by his new position, he soon awakens to Amin’s savagery - and his own complicity in it. Horror and betrayal ensue as Garrigan tries to right his wrongs and escape Uganda alive.

TSOTSI

Set amidst the sprawling Johannesburg township of Soweto - where survival is the primary objective - TSOTSI traces six days in the life of a ruthless young gang leader who ends up caring for a baby accidentally kidnapped during a car-jacking.