Berlinale: German film festival sees Lupita Nyong’o make history

Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o has become the first black person to lead the Berlin International Film Festival jury.

The yearly film event, called the Berlinale, is one of the top five film festivals in the world.

The event has never had a black person leading the jury in its 74-year history, organizers told AFP news agency last year.

Nyong’o will choose the best films in the Golden and Silver Bears categories.

At the start of the event in Germany’s capital on Thursday, Nyong’o said she felt very honored to take on the position.

She said having different kinds of people on the jury would make the decision-making about which films to give awards to better.

“The amazing thing about bringing people from different backgrounds together is that we all have different reactions and responses,” said the actress, who won an Oscar for her role in 12 Years A Slave in 2014.

We have a lot of experience from around the world and we have some interesting opinions. It might also be hot and spicy.

When Berlinale chose Nyong’o as jury president in December, the festival’s directors, Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian, said Nyong’o was picked because she represents what we admire in movies, with her ability to act in different ways and appeal to different audiences.

The event will continue until February 25th, when the judges will announce the winning movies in the main categories.

Three African entries are part of 20 entries competing for the top prize, and they all tell stories from Africa.

They are showing movies like Black Tea, Who Do I Belong To, and the documentary Dahomey at the film festival.