03/24/14 03/24/14 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] >> from pacifica, this is democracy now! the role of counterculture is to wake up the mainstream. >> i have furniture older than you. >> what about my show? black people can be racist. >> as colleges across the country from harvard to ole miss continue to win racism on campus, a new film tackles the

issue through comedy and satire. it is called "dear white people ." a group of black students at a fictional, predominantly white, ivy league school. we will speak with actor marque richardson, an award-winning first-time director justin simien. >> i say to all the white people in the audience, on behalf of all of the black people in the world, you have the right to left. you get a free honorary lacquered with the two sundance ticket. it is meant to be a satire. i think if you start with the title for you get the knee-jerk reaction it is going to be an hour-long indictment, you miss the point. >> all of that and more coming up. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. president obama is holding an emergency meeting with g-7 leaders in the netherlands today following russia's annexation of crimea.

the session comes as the russian government continues to strengthen its control of crimea , seizing more bases and attaining -- detaining ukrainian commanders. the craning government says it has ordered all of its forces to withdraw the wake of russia's annexation. on sunday, the top nato commander in europe warned russia has amassed enough troops on ukraine to eastern border to threaten more post-soviet states. >> if russia is worried about a country moving toward the west, a way to solve that is an incursion of frozen conflict and now no one wants to think about bringing that nation aboard into nato, because it might mean conflict with russia. >> russia has rejected claims it seeks to invade other countries. today's meeting is the first stop in obama's weeklong overseas tour, which also includes a sitdown with pope francis in italy and a trip to

saudi arabia. the latest disclosures from edward snowden show the u.s. has hacked into the servers of a chinese company it's accused of a similar type of activity. ,he targeted company, huawei has essentially been blacklisted me was after being labeled a threat to national security. the newly disclosed leaks show the nsa has created backdoors into huawei's networks -- the same activity is warned huawei could help carry out against the undead states. the nsa's spying included accessing e-mails of top company executives. the republican head of the house intelligence committee continues a campaign to paint nsa whistleblower edward snowden as a russian spy. "meet theo nbc's press, commerce number mike rogers can everyone in u.s. intelligence community believes snowden is under the influence of russian agents. rogers also attempted to link

snowden to russia's interference in ukraine. >> we know today intelligence official in the united states does not believe that mr. snowden is not under the influence of russian intelligence services. we believe he is. i certainly believe he is today. i believe there's more to the story. he is under the influence of russian intelligence officials today. he is supporting, in an odd way come of this very activity of brazen brutality and expansion of russia. he needs to understand that. what i think americans need to understand, we need to put it in proper context. hasommerce number rogers yet to offer any evidence to back up his claims that snowden spied on russia. snowden remains in russia after failing to win asylum in several other countries. former president jimmy carter has revealed he limits his own e-mail use out of here he is spied on by u.s. intelligence. in an interview with nbc news,

president carter says he avoids e-mails and corresponding with foreign leaders, using old-fashioned snail mail. >> that has been extremely liberalized and i think abused by her own agencies. felt my own communications probably monitored. when i want to communicate with the for later privately, i type or write things and put it in the post office and mail things. >> old-fashioned snail mail. >> because i believe i've i send an e-mail, it will be o monitored. he has called for "equal treatment" of israelis and palestinians. that he suggested has put him at odds with official u.s. policy. the uss into deployment of soldiers and military aircraft to uganda in acclaimed ever to

assist in the hunt for rebel warlord joseph kony. the african union has led a campaign to defeat kony and his lord's resistance army, group of notorious -- a group notorious for kidnapping children, forcing boys to become fighters, and using girls as sex slaves. the washington post reports u.s. hasn't around 150 special forces and four military aircraft. the u.s. soldiers are ordered not to engage in combat unless in self-defense. the obama administration says a deployment won't affect a review of u.s. ties with uganda following the countries indictment of an anti-lgbt law. has sentencedurt 529 members of the muslim brotherhood to death on charges of murder. the accused were part of the protest against the ouster of egyptian president mohamed morsi last summer. your convictions mark a new escalation of the military's

regime's crackdown on morsi supporters, which has led to hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrest. meanwhile, two leading egyptian activist have been freed after over 100 days behind bars. el-fattah and ahmed abdelrahman are among a group of activist charged with violating the military's regime and to protest law. three palestinians were killed in at least seven others wounded saturday when israeli forces raided the west bank refugee camp. one of the dead was a militant leader targeted for arrest. several innocent bystanders were injured with gunshot wounds. palestinians say the deaths are at least 60 of the numbers killed since the start of u.s.-backed peace talks last summer. at least eight people have died and 18 others are missing

following a massive landslide in washington state. a local fire chief said the accumulation of mud and debris has slowed the attempt to find survivors. >> seven people were transported to area hospitals with injuries as a result of this slide. there are three confirmed fidelity's at this time -- said talley's at this time. isay's operational priority responder safety. we have this huge mudflow that is basically like quicksand. it is extremely fluid and moving . we suspect there are people out there, but it is far too dangerous to get responders on the mudflow. >> a large cleanup operation is underway in texas after an oil spill in galveston bay. over 168 thousand gallons has built since saturday from a barge like collided with a ship.

a coast guard captain said the spill threatens to move offshore. >> the collision itself did release a significant amount of oil. the quantity of oil is not only in the galveston bay, but now as the winds and the tides drive it out, proceeding out and offshore. >> around 300 same-sex couples exchanged vows in michigan over the weekend after marriage equality was briefly legalized. on friday, a federal judge overturned michigan same-sex marriage ban, ruling it unconstitutional. lgbt couple swarmed michigan county clerks offices the following day. >> i'm overwhelmed. we are actually going to be a legalized family, a recognized family by everybody. >> this is what we wanted for our family and families like ours. we're just so happy.

proud that michigan is now on the right side of history, and that we were able to stand up and say this wasn't fair. >> the ceremonies were short-lived when the initial ruling was frozen later on saturday after michigan appealed. michigan is the latest state of its gay marriage ban struck down , following similar rulings in texas, virginia, kentucky, oklahoma, and utah. three separate probe several reportedly cleared an fbi agent of wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of an unarmed chechen men question for his ties to the boston marathon bombers. agents were questioning ibragim todashev at his orlando apartment last may when he allegedly tried to attack them. after multiple anonymous claims, was armed for it later merged the circumstances were unclear. but investigations by three parties -- the fbi, the florida prosecutor, and the justice department -- have all concluded the asian followed proper guidelines. an exposé found the fbi has

cleared its agents at every single shooting incident dating back 20 years. a mexican woman who crossed the border with her children to protest record deportations has been released from custody. elvira arellano became famous when she sought sanctuary for a year and a chicago church, before being deported in 2007. she crossed in the california last week with dozens of others. in a statement, the national immigrant youth alliance said -- "other mothers in her exact same position remain at and your report has revealed high rates of bullying against children who are part of the sikh religious committed the. children who wear turbans, 67% are believed to a level more than twice the national rate.

the army whistleblower in prison for leaking a trove of secret to wikileaks has petitioned the kansas court to change her legal name from bradley manning to chelsea elizabeth manning. manning said in august should in defies as a woman, but she remains an immense prison at fort leavenworth, where she is serving a 35 year sentence. the ceo of netflix is defending net neutrality -- the principle of open and equal internet access. last month, netflix agreed to pay comcast for faster and more direct access to its subscribers, a move seen as a threat to net neutrality. in a blog post thursday, the netflix ceo wrote --

and those are some of the headlines. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. film tackling racial politics in contemporary america is getting a major hollywood break. the film, "dear white people," took the sundance film festival by storm this year, winning the u.s. dramatic special jury award for breakthrough talent. now lions gate and roadside attractions have acquired rights to the film, pretty much guaranteeing a wide u.s. and canadian distribution. " examinese people race relations through comedy and satire. while it elicits many laughs from the audience, at its core is a serious film. the film follows a group of black students at a fictional, predominantly white, ivy league school called winchester university.

characters, sam, hosts a radio show on campus called "dear white people" where she confronts the racist stereotypes and dilemmas faced by students of color. racial tensions on campus come to a head when a group of mostly white students on african-american themed party wearing blackface and using watermelons and fake guns as props. the concept is not all that far-fetched. just as the film was premiering at sundance, a fraternity at arizona state university decided to mark martin luther king day by holding a "martin luther king black party" where white partygoers don basketball jerseys, flashed gang signs, antering fro made watermelons. when posting photos of the event is social media, they used hastags like "hood." more recently, three white students were expelled from their fraternity at the university of mississippi for hanging a noose and plastering a flag in the confederate symbol

on a statue of james meredith, civil rights euro who was the first african-american to attend the university. the fraternity was also suspended after the incident, which took place in february during black history month. further north that one of the world's top universities, students of color say they are tired of people suggesting they don't belong. like students at harvard recently began a photo montage campaign called "i, too, am harvard" that went viral. students hold signs that say "having an opinion does not make me an angry black woman post quote and "no, i will not teach you how to twerk." a harvard student made this promo video for the campaign. >> there's that moment when you're the only black student in your section. >> when you're the only black kid or the "n" comes up in a book. >> issue of race or slavery. >> everyone looks to you -- >> as if you are about to speak for your race.

>> as if you represent everybody in the race and suddenly, your voice will carry such weight. >> it is kind of frustrating because you would hope that people would understand that there are all different types of black people and black people don't all have the same opinions about the same issues. >> an excerpt from the promo video, "i, too, am harvard." black students have launched similar campaigns across the venture, including the university of mississippi and at university of michigan. of color by students demanding acceptance and respect have also been launched abroad at cambridge and oxford. well, the film "dear white people" deals with the very real issues in creative and often humorous ways. the film just showed here in new york city over the weekend at the new directors film festival presented by the film society of lincoln center and the museum of modern art. it is scheduled for theatrical

release this year. while in utah earlier this year, i sat down with the film's director justin simien who was recently named one of friday's 10 directors to watch. we were also joined by marque richardson, who plays reggie in the film. i began asking justin simien about the film's storyline. >> the story revolves around four like kids in this mostly white ivy league college. samantha is this angela davis, x and automation of a girl who really hangs her identity on being this black militant in his white plays and sort of really challenging the status quo and trying to, what she calls, pop the post-racial bubble. and that somehow we are all past race. onnel higgins, sort of like the polar opposite end, has no black identity to speak up in

the beginning of the film and because he is also gay and dealing with sexual identity issues, sort of really feeling sort of -- i keep along snow place. very much in the middle and watching the other black characters from the sidelines. also kind of the flipside of sam, just taking a different approach to owning her black identity. some might call her a bit of a conformist. she definitely comes in the package that i think the people at this particular school would expect. she also is kind of daring and cunning in her way of surviving this place. then you have troy fairbanks, he is sort of the poster black child of diversity of the school. he is the son of the dean, a legacy kit, perfectly coiffed sort of essence, ebony black magazine kind of man. it is sort of like a nonthreatening version of blacks for his white friends, but he

can black it up when need be for his black friends. >> and his dad is dennis hayes burke? is the president of the united states in "24." >> at winchester, only the dean. the president of the school that doesn't deserve it, but his boss -- it is sort of like -- >> who is white. >> i just want to get into the pressure that i is a black man feel from my peers generation of just sort of what they had to go through. and this idea that we have to appear perfect and were 10 times harder and have everything -- that is the kind of pressure that i don't know people who aren't minorities feel. >> who are you? >> oh, god, i am all of them. truly. it is easy to say i entered college lionel and left as him, but the truth is, i'm each one of those characters. -- onre autographed for

grifols.low >> in response, you came out. >> i have never been in, but -- [laughter] that happened years ago. no one has asked me in front of a bunch of people and talk about myself. i think it is important thing to talk about. it is still an issue for black men to own their sexual identity and to say, yeah, i can be all of these things anti-gay antiblack and still all is good. all of these things can still coexist together. i think lionel's trepidation over that is certainly an anchor for a lot of people in the film. >> justin, talk about the inspiration for the film. >> the beginning came from two places. i had a college experience that was not as extreme as the events

that take place in the film, but the sense of being one of very few black people in the room and having a sort of toggle high blackness and what parts of my identity i showed to people based on what groups of friends i was with was something i felt like that was kind of what all of my friends were doing, and feeling the pressure to do. i wanted to talk about that in the movie. >> where did you go to school? >> chapman university. for a school, lovely people. lots of people touching my hair. lots people asking if i play basketball. it was funny. that is where began. it wasn't until i started to research particularly what is happening at ivy league schools, research blackface parties -- which unfortunately are very common occurrence at predominantly white institutions. it began to be more about the american black experience for me as opposed to my specific college experience. i began to cheat winchester university is a microcosm of this sort of identity crisis that i know i'm having with my

black -- or my black friends are having. just finding ways to broach these uncomfortable topics as we go through life. >> you have been driven to do this. this is your first film and you been working on it for a few years. what were you doing in between? >> i was a studio publicist for a while. i worked at several studios. most recently, was doing sort of like independent -- i'm sorry, not independent, but during internet content like digital content. and on the side writing and trying to work and push the boulder up the hill for the movie. >> what made you put down the day job ingested the other full-time? >> i think it was remade concept trailer. i had a script i believed in. ruminating on black consciousness, i felt like i needed to do something to give people a reason to let it come in the room and pitch myself. i poured my tax return into a concept trailer.

>> and that is sort of like a -- >> as if the movie existed. we cut a three minute piece. i just shot what was in the trailer. we shot it quickly over two days with no money, put it online and it blew up. a year and half later, we were able to get financing to make the movie. when the concept trailer hitch, i just felt like i needed to do something dramatic. so i quit my job. [laughter] basically said, you know what? making the movies the only thing that matters to me right now. it was a year and a half a figuring out, but we finally did. >> the director of "dear white people" justin simien speaks to us at the fil senates film festival earlier this year. we will have more in a moment. ♪ [music break]

>> this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. as we go back to our interview with justin simien, the director of the remarkable new film, "dear white people" that just played in new york this week in and premiered at the sundance film festival earlier this year. with him is marque richardson who plays the character reggie in the film. i asked justin about his film and who inspired him as he was making this film -- his first ever. ofi'm a big fan ensembles. i like the way they're put together, particularly when it comes to issues, i like films that talk about things like race from any conflicting points of view. i never wanted to make a morality play or say this is how it is and this is what you should feel. i wanted these characters to disagree with each other and be

struggling to figure out the answer. i just think that is more interesting. post go to "network that or "do the right thing" or "election." they find a way to talk about the human condition from all of these different points of views, particularly with race identity. i can't think of another way to do it. there so many different ways to go about it. >> so, reggie -- well, your reggie in the film, marque richardson in real life. >> yes, ma'am. >> talk about your character reggie. >> reggie represents the angry black man in my head. foroing a lot of research the part of reggie, i was listening to a lot of malcolm x "public enemy" as these prominent -- you know, james brown -- in terms of rebelling against the man or really having

a strong black identity and that's it. andalk about who reggie is at winchester university, where you go to school. >> reggie is, i had them that he is the michelle obama to samantha, who is the obama. he is her support system. he does everything for her. the voice of "dear white people." she is angry. >> and she is amazing -- owing back into my character. >> you worship her. >> pretty much. -- id you are an i.t. guy mean, in the film, you know how to work the system. >> yes, yes, yes. >> and that serves you very well. what was it like to perform in this ensemble company? how did things change when you're altogether, did things the lines change,

your feelings change as your working together? do you get inspired by her the other people on the? >> set i would say i was inspired by everyone on the set. a lot of these people were my friends. to be able to work with your friends and work on a project that you're so proud of, even though it is not the easiest it was like summer camp. just took everything that happened and used it in the work, to stay present. >> marque richardson is a beast. what is cool, it was just a bunch of beasts. these incredible actors who had not had a chance to really show this side of themselves in a movie before. it was great to see them see

each other other's takes and get inspired. you talk about things changing, they always say there's a movie that you write in a movie that you make and one that you added and they're all different. we had a very tight budget and schedule. yes, stuff changed all the time. there were days you could walk in and say, oh, this is the set we're working on now. how do we make it work? >> let's go to the first clip. this is in "dear white people" were samantha white confronts kurt fletcher. he is the character in the movie, the son of the university forident t president fletcher. >> armstrong park is the resident hall that is deemed like the black house, were kids that want to be around other black kids historically have gone to. it is basically being challenged by the administration who thinks it is sort of a self-segregation. there actually randomizing housing. sort of like history of black students going to school is in

danger for the first time. >> let's go to the club and i want to ask marque richardson to shootas like hi this scene. books on behalf of the colored folks, let me apologize to all the better qualified white students whose plays were taking up. >> no, we're ok. >> i'm sorry, did you get lost? >> i know where it is. i'm supposed either. is that this is the only dining on that you can actually get yourself some chicken and waffles. [laughter] look, you are "dear white people " right? it's funny stuff. how have we not staffed you yet? >> me? on your humor magazine? >> it is more than a magazine. >> what gives you clubhouse kids the right to come to our dining hall? >> you don't live here. >> what are you doing? >> so you can eat.

here >>. > that this who are you to throw me out? >> i think i'm head of this house. and i'm doing things my way. >> that last was, sam quite, she's the radio announcer, the radio host and now the president of armstrong parker house, throwing out the white guys. that is a clip from "dear white people." studio are here at the sundance film festival headquarters are the star or one of the stars of the production "dear white people" marque richardson as well as the director -- first-time director justin simien. marque richardson, talk about that seen. >> that scene was to be there and to watch the work of tessa d

and kyle, like justin said, they were beasts and to see them go at it with each other was just phenomenal, to be a witness of it. , itthen for my character riled me up. [laughter] is reggie's muse. he does everything for her. to watch her work as reggie, that was love. >> i think a lot of ways, sam and other characters are out pieces for reggie. i think he likes when she does things and maybe he is too timid to do it. thing ii love -- one tell the actors in the cutting room, i love to watch because the cameras are on the different

groups in that scene. i love to watch them when they're not on camera. you know what i mean? to samwe're going to cut and kyle, but i just love watching them watch what was happening. they never turned off. they're always in the moment. so many good reactions to choose from. >> in your life, how much do you identify with "dear white people "? >> i would university of southern california. this interview, i told justin, i just realized that i actually lived on an all-black floor at usc. it just hit me that i lived this. i lived this. we would go off campus and integrate with other students and whatnot, but they would ask us why are you integrating yourselves? you know, just living in your own world?

, yout was a support system know, to go out there in the world and have people try to touch her hair, have professors say these things to you, and to go back home and share that experience with people. >> interestingly, sam throws out not only kut, the white presidents son who ends up what we call the block party, black party, costume party, but she also throws out lionel. >> yes. first of all, i'm always about telling the truth and being honest and i did not want these to be just grandstanding archetypes. i wanted them to be obligated to sometimes do things that confuse people. one of the things i experiencing college for there was a moment when i was sitting and i was new to the school -- i don't think

particularly at the time i came in the expected blackmail package. i don't know what it was about me, but the black student union meanings started to happen around me. i was branded of the campus. there is something about me, they just did not think i was down enough and there were like, you might want to leave because we're about to start the meeting. i remember thinking, that was such an awful feeling to not feel black enough in that environment when i feel like exotic five for being black in my expenses and other parts my life. and sam is saying in that moment, if you don't live in this residence hall, you don't eat here. i did not want to make it specifically about the fact they were white, because that would make her just a racist. to make, that is not interesting. what is more interesting, serving about the principle of it. if you're not down enough to live here, you can't eat here.

>> so you have lionel, the black , gay character in this film, being thrown out here. but when he walks into the newspaper room, he is assuring the white student -- don't worry. >> i wanted to talk about that weird toggle of, it is like a tap dance to manila to mean? it's a softshoe. you don't have to be, but in college, i felt the pressure to be different things to different groups of people because when you walk through the world in any minority, as a woman, you are aware that you are what you are, and that people are going to have ideas about you just by seeing you. i wanted each of the characters to be dealing with the conflict of their identity versus who they really are. >> dean fairbanks, the african-american dean, says to sam that she is a racist and sam replies, black people can't be

racist. >> you know what? i don't agree with everything sam says. for the record, sam is not my mouthpiece and neither is lionel. none of the characters just say what i believe. but i agree with her. i think racism speaks to a system of disadvantaged. i think, certainly, there are people who could be called racist because of specific attitudes they have, but it is about coming up in the system and being at a disadvantage because of their race. when you look at racism as a system, as an infrastructure, i think that is more truthful. people can be polite to me all day long and be sweet and nice -- i've never had any issues with the lynch mob, but i am at a disadvantage because i'm a black man in this country. that is a much more competent at issue then, what are you being light or pc or saying what is expected of you in a situation? >> let's go to another clip. this is sam and dean fairbanks. >> this is dean fairbanks, is

concerned that she is -- her movement on the campus is gathering a lot of negative attention for the university. he confronts her over a would-be rally to say the blackness of the hall. >> the role of counterculture is to wake up the mainstream. >> i have furniture older than you. counterculture? your little show? >> what about my show? >> it's racist. >> black people can be racist. prejudice, yes. racism describes a system of disadvantage based on race. but people can be racist. >> press like this keeps men like president fletcher up that night. >> warm milk? it's not my fault your son [indiscernible] >> i'm sure it was tough going up wondering which side you fit into, feeling like it overcompensate, perhaps.

if that's true, dean, i'm not the only one. >> a clip from "dear white people," that premiered here the sundance filled festival. justin simien, talk about that. >> with that scene, i wanted to make a point of these two very different but kind of valid in their own way approaches of surviving in this place. for dean fairbanks, who, represents maybe an older guard, different generations thinking, the answer is to not shake the boat, discipline be excellent to maybe better than excellent, and to never be a traversal. justor sam, her thing is, break everything in sight and cause a fuss. i think they both have really valid points. i think there are both right in the scene and i love movies that

do that in a love scene that do that we have two people that don't agree with each other and they're both right and both wrong. comeder the two of them to head-to-head in that way. >> we haven't even talked about this whole film reads up to, and that is what the african-american themed costume party. was this halloween? >> yes. it happens at halloween time, it happens that martin luther king day -- it happens a lot. it doesn't even make the news. a lot of times ingesting researcher talking to people there were like, yeah, that happens at my school. it happened that i be lead, it happened at smaller institutions, it happens a grad programs. >> as we just said, it just happened at arizona state university for martin luther king day. >> that's right. i think part of it is -- i did not want to vilify anyone.

of the most interesting things about researching these parties is the response the students give after the fact. the leave it or not, there really is sort of a naïveté to what they're saying, like they did not really realize how messed up this was. did not completely comprehend how that would come across to a minority, particularly in those environments. ultimately, to me the movie is not really about racism, it is about identity and what is the mask you wear? what is the mask you're forced to wear in the culture around you? there's no better way than showing students were literally wearing blackface and wearing these masks and wearing his costume said to them represent martin luther king. end., that was the perfect particularly, since there's this phenomenon. it happens every year, all the

time, no matter how any controversial stories come out. >> and you show clips from around the country, not just below the makes and dixon line. -- not just below the mason dixon line. how did you do the research? >> google is a really easy way to do it, but also asking a lot of questions and reading. there are a lot of books that when it's my understanding of the issue. i wanted to tell the truth, but i also wanted to be fair and honest. i did not want anyone to come across as a villain. there was a lot of that. i specifically look for the response from the return of the or the group or whoever did it, i was looking for the response they gave. and the big influences tv. when you have the mostly white, the rooms that do black jokes, whether it is cartoons for adults or sketch shows, you find the sort of black jokes,

probably not from all white writers. i can sort of tell when there's not a black guy in the writer's room or black woman. it is interesting. for some people, because racism is more subversive now and it is about the infrastructure as rights to the specific being taken away -- of course that is an issue, particularly in the last election we saw that -- but because it is sort of relaxed little bit, and people feel like it is ok to sort of make those jokes. they don't realize that it is actually harmful and hurts for minorities to see that. >> and he had the characters at this party literally unmask. >> yes, and they all arrived at the party with different ideas about it. >> any of the leading african-american character, cocoa. explain her role. >> to me, cocoa is the kind of

person that understands identity is just a form of currency. in a funny way, i think she knows more who she is then sam does. person iseing a black a mask i wear anyway, why not use it to get what i want. i don't want to give too much away, but she's involved in the party in ways that may feel unseemly. but honestly, we all do it. we all do it a little bit. we all sort of use our blackness to get a someplace. that is been my experience. i don't know if everyone will admit to that, but sometimes it comes in handy. the way people see you as something to be used sometimes. >> that is the director of a new film called, "dear white people ," justin simien speaking to his head sundance film festival earlier this year. along with marque richardson, who plays the character reggie in the film. richardson has played a number of roles including kenneth in the hbo series "true blood."

more with them in a moment. ♪ [music break] >> this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. as we go back to our interview with justin simien, the director

of a brand-new film "dear white people" that premiered with the sundance film festival. it also played in new york this week and at the new directors/new films cinema festival with justin simien and marque richardson who plays regina fell. i asked him about the theme of reality shows that runs throughout "dear white people." >> you see this, especially now, every ethnic pocket, every cultural pocket that seems a bit different from the mainstream now has a reality show around it. you have these people who i think probably feel a pressure to really play up whatever their thing is. because without that, the show is really not that interesting. if they're not the extreme version of whatever it is the thing is, whether it is a show set in atlanta or jersey or whatever -- whatever the subculture may be. it is entertainment. they're sort of using their thetities to entertain

mainstream culture. there's something about that that is very disturbing. but there's also opportunity there for these people to make a living and make a life for themselves. i kind of wanted to get into that a little bit. that is the reality of being a minority in this country. >> marque richardson, did you ever expect anything like this on campus, black themed party, not african-american partygoers, but the whites on campus? >> it was in a black themed party, but you had seen put a mile parties, you had -- cico de mayo parties. a friend was throwing a white trash party -- that is what they called it, white trash. i read the script and partner and prior to reading the script, i probably would have went. but i didn't go because it is the same thing, whether it is

economics, and is the same thing. >> yet acted in a lot of different productions like "true blood" the vampire series. experience inr getting jobs, the few jobs for african-americans -- this is an amazing film because you actually see a core of african-american actors characters. how different is this from your other work? off, just in a lotus to allowed us to play and i can honestly say this is the proudest thing i have ever worked on. just from the work, from the message, from all that it is. that is a huge difference for me. black actors, we are

put into a box. fortunately, i have not been put into a box for a lot of the stuff that i have done. it is not in this tour typical gangster -- stereotypical gangster or haven't had to wear a dress. i'm not saying i'm opposed to it, but -- not on camera, anyway. i have not had to do that. this militantay ,haracter was exciting for me because i don't live there. i don't. in my life, i don't live there. i do get angry a lot about different things, but i don't live there. >> let's talk about the rulebook that sam white writes "ebony and ivory."

ivy grows quote urges about the roots of ivy league universities and how they gain from slavery, actual slavery and their founding. she has this rulebook she is written. >> it is a survival guide for being black and white space. it is something i thought she would do. there's a series of what they call paper bag test. it is meant to be test for black people to take to find out how black they are. [laughter] it is sort of her tongue-in-cheek anarchistic way a getting her point cross. >> let's go to another clip from "dear white people." this is samantha white narrating one of those test. you had jelly for a snack.

the waitress mistakes you for someone who looks like you, black, who once ran up a $30 bill and left a one dollar tip. you watch all of the other customers order before you do. and then proceed to wait the less than 40 minutes for yoursoup. how do you tip? >> 40 minutes? she's lucky she gets $.40. but 15% is then' least i can do. i reject the stereotype that african-americans don't tip. only 20 -- no, 25%. >> so that ended -- that was the

narration of sam and ends with lionel saying he is going to tip big. justin? >> i'm sorry, but that is a real pressure that i feel as a black person whenever i go to a restaurant. it's like, well, damn. i don't want to reinforce the stereotype, but i also, you did not come and check on this for like an hour. just about every time. i always over to because i feel this pressure that i'm expected to undertip. it is a real thing that i think is an interesting. aspect of being a black person. >>. >> guilty. i refuse -- i will leave a reason and write it on the receipt why they're not getting a tip, so it's not just because i'm black. it's because you did not check on me for 20 minutes. >> that's a better way to do it. >> what are some of the other

roles? >> a couple of things did not make the film. there was a dance test called test.erk like, what you do when there's a dance craze sweeping the nation that starts with black people for like the single ladies dance -- >> the single ladies dance? >> yes, remember, with beyoncé? all of your wife friends are wanting you to teach them how to do it. it is annoying, but a real aspect. one, even if you do not how to do it, there's just something that feels wrong and sort of like getting up and teaching people how -- i don't know, it just feels weird, i too close to tap dancing. >> jivish. >> slightly shuckish. >> but you left it out. >> budgetary and time restrictions, we could not shoot it. but it is, one of the realities

is, what do you do not moment? do you teach them? do act like you don't know it? 40 throw big set in sake, i will never shuck and jive for you. i do know, i thought those were funny ways to talk about the awkward moments that happen for people whose autoliv in between the cultures like that. >> here you are on democracy your global news hour, and main characters, to our journalist. with a microphone in front of her face saying "dear white people" and lionel is a local journalist from a journalist on campus. >> that's right. i don't know if that was conscious. i knew i wanted to talk about culture and how it affects our identities, how identities come into conflict with who we are. i think where that comes from is, even the name of the movie "dear white people" is an

omission that in a lot of ways, black culture is in response to white mainstream culture. say it was on purpose, i think there's a reason why the characters in some ways are contributing to culture, whether or not it is black culture on campus are mainstream culture on campus. to me, it is an interesting issue. in many ways, subversively dangerous. i think that is where he came from. >> as you introduce "dear white people" here at is showing it in sundance, you get why people permission to laugh. what do you say? >> i say to all the white people in the onions, on behalf of all the black people in the world, you get a free honorary black card with each sundance ticket. it is meant to be a satire. i think if you stop at the title and get the knee-jerk reaction, this is going to be an hour-long indictment, you're missing the point. it is the title of a movie and i

wanted to tell everybody, it's ok. this movie is meant for people of all races to connect to. being anhey issue of other is a universal human experience. i happened to be talking about it from a black point of view. just like every filmmakers talking about whatever they're talking about from their point of view. >> so what are you working on now or is it possible to even talk about that since this is your first film and has just broken out? to get a fewhungry other stories to the screen. there are a lot of things i want to say. i'm excited about all the possibilities, particularly after the film's reception, to say even more enduring interesting things. >> how do you compare "dear white people" would you last year with a film based on real life experience, the was a feature film -- we usually cover the documentary track, but this was a significant, "fruitvale

station"? >> i met him just now. >> you did? heidi compare it? >> first of all, they're very different films. what is so brilliant with "fruitvale" you know how it is going to and at the beginning, you're watching this black man toggle his blackness and modulate his blackness around everyone he meets. it is like a game of survival's. he is one way with his mother, one with his friends -- >> the film is about oscar grant who was killed by police on new year's day. of these different versions of himself for all and heifferent people slipped up. he was the wrong version of himself at the wrong time, and he died because of it. that is a tragedy. that is what it is like to be a black man in this country. i think the movie said it in such a beautiful, simple way, to

be even mentioned in the same reference is that film is an honor because it really is a masterpiece. ryan and i have very different approaches to talking about that issue, but it is that pressure to be a different version of yourself all the time but i think our films share. >> the director of "dear white people" justin simien along with marque richardson who plays reggie in the film. it premiered at the sundance film festival where we interviewed them earlier this year. they won the lester maddox special jury award for breakthrough talent. it also play this weekend in new york at the new directors/new films festival. that does it for our broadcast. democracy now! is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. e-mail your comments to outreach@democracynow.org or mail them to democracy now! p.o. box 693 new york, new york 10013. [captioning made possible by democracy now!]

[captioning made possible by california farm bureau feddration] >> coming up on "california country," take a step and sip back in time at a unique ranch. >> the overall theme is, wow, it's pretty spectacular. >> then, farming in the city? sound impossible? not for these folks. >> this is my land, but it's everybody's land. >> next, meet a farmer and a chef who make the perfect pair--terally. >> i think pears are great because they're--i like the versatility. >> then, ever wonder how to pick the best summertime produce? we've got the tricks of the trade from a pro. it's all ahead, and it starts now.