: In case you didn’t see it last night, there was one INTERESTING moment at the Oscars – when a producer named Elinor Burkett wrestled the microphone away from director-producer Roger Ross Williams. The two made a movie together that won the Best Documentary Short Oscar.
Here si the excerpt of an interview, where the two explained what happned
Interviewer: People are already saying you "pulled a Kanye." What happened?BURKETT: What happened was the director and I had a bad difference over the direction of the film that resulted in a lawsuit that has settled amicably out of court. But there have been all these events around the Oscars, and I wasn't invited to any of them. And he's not speaking to me. So we weren't even able to discuss ahead of the time who would be the one person allowed to speak if we won. And then, as I'm sure you saw, when we won, he raced up there to accept the award. And his mother took her cane and blocked me. So I couldn't get up there very fast.
Interviewer: Can you explain the reason behind the conflict?
BURKETT: The movie was supposed to be about the entire band, Liyana. And the [band members] were very clear they did not want to participate if it ended up being just about one person. The director and HBO decided to focus solely on Prudence . . .
Interviewer: And that led to the rift. But didn't you see him at other events to discuss what would happen if you won?
BURKETT: He won't talk to me! This whole week, there have been events thrown by the International Documentary Association, and he hasn't passed any of the invitations on to me.
The movie was my idea. I live in Zimbabwe. Roger had never even heard of Zimbabwe before I told him about this. And you know, I felt my role in this has been denigrated again and again, and it wasn't going to happen this time.
Interviewer: How do you feel about the final product?
BURKETT: The final product, it's not that it's bad. It's not what I envisioned when I came up with this project. And it's not what we promised the boys in the band. It's just not what we wanted it to be.
About 15 minutes later, Salon reached director-producer Roger Ross Williams by cell phone as he celebrated backstage with family and friends. We asked for his side of the story.
And here is the Director’s point of view:
Interviewer: How did that happen?WILLIAMS: Only one person is allowed to accept the award. I was the director, and she was removed from the project nearly a year ago, but she was able to still qualify as a producer on the project, and be an official nominee. But she was very angry -- she actually removed herself from the project – because she wanted more creative control.
Interviewer: But couldn't you decide ahead of time who would speak?
WILLIAMS: That was handled by the publicist for the academy. I don't know what they told her. The academy is very clear that only one person can speak. I own the film. She has no claim whatsoever. She has nothing to do with the movie. She just ambushed me. I was sort of in shock.
Interviewer: You seemed to run up there pretty fast. Didn't you see her coming up the aisle? What did you think was going to happen when she got there?
WILLIAMS: I just expected her to stand there. I had a speech prepared.
Interviewer: She claims she found the movie's story, that she brought it to you.
WILLIAMS: No, not at all. The truth is that she saw the band perform [in Zimbabwe], and told me about that, and then I opened up a dialogue with the [King George VI School & Centre for Children with Physical Disabilities] school and went on my own – which you would've heard about in my speech -- and spent $6,000 going to Africa shooting myself. And when people expressed interest in the film, I asked her to come on board. And then I regretted that decision. Then she sued.
Interviewer: It was quite a tussle. Does this diminish the Oscar at all?
WILLIAMS: Absolutely not. It's such a career achievement, to win an Academy Award. This is what the business is. There are times when there's disagreement and dispute and you always hope that people will rise up to the occasion. It doesn't diminish it. She disowns it and doesn't want any part of the film. I'm so proud of the movie .
Interviewer: OK, did your mother try and block her with her cane?
WILLIAMS: My mother got up to hug me. And my mother is 87 years old. She was excited.
What are people saying about it?
They're saying it looked like she pulled a Kanye.
WILLIAMS: She did! She pulled a Kanye. And it's a shame, because this is such positive, happy film.
Here is the video:
WELL IF SHE WAS ALSO ANOTHER DIRECTOR WHO MADE THE FILM SHE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO. THEY HAD HER NAME AND HIS NAME RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER BUT THE WAY SHE CAME ABOUT WAS NOT PROFESSIONAL IN THE LEAST BIT AND VERY INCONSIDERATE AND AWKWARD. IM SURE THEY BOTH COULD HAVE HANDLED IT A DIFFERENT WAY JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WON WHO HAD MORE THAN 1 PERSON TO ACCEPT A AWARD. SHE COULD HAD LET HIM SPEAK AND THEN SHE COULD HAVE SPOKEN AFTERWARDS
BEFORE I KNEW WHO SHE WAS I WOULD OF COURSE MAKE THIS STATEMENT >> YET AGAIN A WHITE INDIVIDUAL TRYIN TO TAKE A BLACK MANS SHINE.
BUT SUPPOSEBLY SHE WAS ALSO THE MAKER OF THE FILM SO IMMA JUST LET THAT FLY AND SAY SHE WAS UNPROFESSIONAL. OLD *** NEEDS TO WORK ON PROPER ETIQUETTE. DUDE DID LOOK LIKE HE WAS RACIGN TO THE STAGE THOUGH
the burger King should have grabbed her! I felt sorry for that guy and his family. She was wrong, their differences should not have come out in the open on the air like that. She should have just stood by, waited for him to finish and spoke afterwards like a lady. Do you think anyone else would invite her to participate in anything else? Not even a Mcdonalds grand opening party!
she did pull a KANYE!!! WE ALL SAID THAT WHEN WE SAW IT!!ONLY IT WAS A REVERSE KANYE, CAUSE SHE WAS A WHITE WOMAN DURING IT TO A BLACK MAN!! IT WAS SOME BS! SHE LOOKED SO DUMB AND I THINK EVERYONE WAS IN SHOCK! SHE DAMAGED HER OWN REP ON THAT ONE! EVERYONE LOOKED AT HER LIKE SHE WAS CRAZY! WHICH SHE IS!
BTW- IT WAS ENTERTAINING TO SEE!
she did pull a KANYE!!! WE ALL SAID THAT WHEN WE SAW IT!!ONLY IT WAS A REVERSE KANYE, CAUSE SHE WAS A WHITE WOMAN DURING IT TO A BLACK MAN!! IT WAS SOME BS! SHE LOOKED SO DUMB AND I THINK EVERYONE WAS IN SHOCK! SHE DAMAGED HER OWN REP ON THAT ONE! EVERYONE LOOKED AT HER LIKE SHE WAS CRAZY! WHICH SHE IS!
BTW- IT WAS ENTERTAINING TO SEE!
I seen this last *** and they started playing that music quick on her to rap it up it was awkward and i was shocked...but to be honest if you read the whole story up top she says all the events surrounding this *** at the international *** association he has been going to and not even giving her her invitations she felt this was her only chance to let ppl know she was a part of this movie also so i think that was shady of him..
She had a point, although she did end up looking like a crazy lady. On the one hand he said that she had nothing to do with the film and these lawsuits can't have helped. On the other hand she deserved to be up there with him as they've both been jointly credited for the film. Obviously there's a reason why they've both been credited by the Oscar people. These people don't play with these important details. She is OFFICIALLY an Oscar winner. In the end, I think she did the right thing because it seems as though she ws being unfairly pushed out of a perhaps once in a lifetime opportunity.
And they really need to tighten up on security or somethin at these award shows!! They should only have it where only the winner is allowed to go up on stage and no one else, to prevent dumb mess like this from happening... But despite all that, he was the one who took home the oscar!!! That's what really matters. And eventhough he didn't snap on that ho, he still made himself look good while her azz looked like a fool!
