Legendary American Filmmaker – Spike Lee will be in Cameroon for CAN 2021, according to CRTV Web. The 64-year-old American screenwriter, director, actor, and producer confirmed his plans for his first trip to the country this Friday in Paris. It was during a lunch organized in his honor by the Cameroonian Ambassador to France André Magnus Ekoumou.
The filmmaker discovered in 1986 through DNA analysis that he is of Cameroonian ancestry and since then has been extremely motivated to come to the land of his origins. Like the late American author Alex Haley who traced back his roots right to the Gambia and even produced a mini-series title “The Roots: The Saga Of An American Family” which aired on Crtv in the early 90s.W Have had many prominent American stars who have actually had to trace their ancestry back to the Cameroons, like the talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, American actor/comedian Anthony Anderson just to name a few
Many will be asking the question who is Spike Lee, well Shelton Jackson “Spike” Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and professor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut with She’s Gotta Have It (1986). He has since written and directed such films as Do the Right Thing (1989), Mo’ Better Blues (1990), Jungle Fever (1991), Malcolm X (1992), Crooklyn (1994), Clockers (1995), 25th Hour (2002), Inside Man (2006), Chi-Raq (2015), BlacKkKlansman (2018) and Da 5 Bloods (2020). Lee also acted in ten of his films.
Lee’s work has continually explored race relations, colorism in the black community, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and other political issues. He has won numerous accolades for his work, including an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, a Student Academy Award, a BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, two Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, and the Cannes Grand Prix. He has also received an Academy Honorary Award, an Honorary BAFTA Award, an Honorary César, and the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. Lee’s films Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, 4 Little Girls and She’s Gotta Have It were each selected by the Library of Congress in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.