In-person Tribute, Anna Diop stars in “Nanny”
By Dwight Casimere
The beautiful Senegalese-American actress Anna Diop is the 2022 recipient of the Chicago International Film Festival’s Rising Star Award. Diop’s nuanced performance brings to life the plight of a young immigrant trying to put together the crumbling pieces of her life in New York City.
Director Jusu is an American independent filmmaker and assistant professor of film and video at George Mason University. Born in Atlanta to Sierra Leonean parents, she brings a unique sensibility to her work.
Diop stars as Aisha, a struggling single mom who takes a job as a caretaker for the high maintenance child of an Upper East Side family. With a demanding, delusional mother constantly on her case and a hen-pecked husband who objectifies her, Aisha is constantly overcoming obstacles. Every time she seems close to stitching together the disparate pieces of her life, the ghosts of her past rise up to overtake her.
Director Jusu manages to navigate the delicate balance between making a sociological point, while maintaining the pace of an unwinding thriller. The film makes its point without being preachy. The director allows the action to unfold organically in a way that both startles and enlightens.
Winner of this year’s Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, the Chicago Film Festival Award is yet another jewel in the crown of this regal actress. Celebrated for her role as Starfire in the DC Universe live-action series Titan on HBO Max and on the Fox series 24:LEGACY, opposite Corey Hawkins, Diop is definitely a star on the rise!
“There’s a lot of symbolism in the film,” Diop explained in a post screening presentation after receiving the Rising Star Award from festival Artistic Director Mimi Plauche.
In the interview, Diop talked about how the middle passage of African slaves to the United States and their pain, had an impact on the film.
“We have deep respect for it. It’s a theme that shows up in the film. Nikyatu (the director) often speaks about how during the trans Atlantic slave trade; a lot of individuals who were slaves threw themselves into the water as a way of controlling their own destinies.
“So, it’s a symbol of rebirth, of healing, of tragedy, and all of that is explored in the film. There are so many symbols within our culture that have profound meaning and are quite eerie and quite disturbing, yet are so powerful.”
“Nanny” is a vivid portrait of immigrant life in America. The film is in theaters in November.