Questions of who is allowed to make what art arise with hilarious and throught-provoking outcomes in the new feature film American Fiction… Writer and director Cord Jefferson talks to RTÉ Arena above.
It stars Jeffrey Wright as the academic and writer Thelonius "Monk" Ellison, whose very literary novels - adapting Greek myths for the present day - have failed to make the best seller lists. Facing criticism that his work "isn't black enough", Monk writes a hoax novel - under the alias Stag R Leigh - which leans into ghetto stereotypes, to put it mildly… The resulting book becomes a sensation, and Monk finds himself having to embrace his literary alter-ego in a very real way. And along with all this, Monk is facing challenges closer to home with his elderly mother and wayward brother.
After working as a journalist at Gawker, and later as a writer on hit TV shows like Watchmen, Master of None and Succession, writer and debut director Cord Jefferson adapted the script for American Fiction from the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett… And now American Fiction has been nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, best actor for Jeffrey Wright and Best Supporting Actor for Sterling K Brown.
American Fiction is in cinemas now. Listen to more from RTÉ Arena here.
