LOS ANGELES: Its biggest star is British, and its director is white. But “Concrete Cowboy,” a critically acclaimed new film about at-risk black youths and horse owners in urban Philadelphia, offers a poignant message at a time of mass anti-racism protests in the United States, Idris Elba said Sunday.
“America didn’t change overnight. These are issues that have been going on for a long time – even where I’m from in England where there’s a huge knife-crime problem,” added the London-born star. Lee Daniels, best known for directing the Oscar-winning “Precious,” admitted he was “shocked” to learn Staub was white, and initially declined to produce the project.
Saoirse Ronan on Sunday discussed another potential Oscar contender that premiered in Toronto – “Ammonite,” in which she stars opposite Academy Award winner Kate Winslet.