Disney new film “Queen of Katwe” will inspire you to take a leap of faith to go after your dreams. The movie is base on the true life story of “Phiona Mutesi” and her determination to change her circumstance. You will be moved as you watch her journey rise from the poverty-stricken rural streets of Uganda to become an international chess champion.
I was blessed to have an opportunity to speak with the Director Mira Nair. During our interview, she shared how she developed her relationship with “Phiona Mutesi” and her mother Harriet.
photo credit to Carol Jones / AllMommyWants.com
I thought I would share with you a few highlights from our interview. Please feel free to share with your friends.
Although Director Mira Nair lived 15 minutes away from Phiona Mutesi, she wasn’t aware of her story. She learned about Phiona incredible journey from a college.
I knew about her, because, of a young man from this building, Tendo Nagenda, who’s a Ugandan, VP of Disney came to see me in my garden in Kampala when he was at a family reunion about four years ago. And he showed me this little article about Phiona in the ESPN journal, about this child who sold corn in Katwe, who now was heading to becoming a chess prodigy and going to the Olympics in Russia. And I was completely struck by the story.” ~ Mira Nair
Funny enough, Mira meet Phiona and Robert Katenda, her trainer, while they were in town for a competition in New York. After meeting Phiona, she asked to meet Phiona mother Harriet and spent a lot of time with Harriet who took here on a tour or the area in which the story took place.
Harriet who took me ,… where she was evicted when her husband died. … we spent the day just going from one place to another where she had been with her four kids, at abandoned church, the veranda of a little vendor stand, and … finally a little room. When I saw the trajectory of actually the struggle, the homelessness, and her fierceness to keep her family together against absolutely every odds there was, it just was so deeply moving and great, because she was full of courage and full of pragmatism. ~ Mira Nair
Phiona mother Harriet saw a garden for the first time while attending a dinner at Director Mira Nair home.
… You think people have seen a home with a garden, but not Harriet. She had never been in a place like that, you know, and looking at my garden. I’m a real gardener. I have a nursery. I create my own plants…, tree nurseries, everything. And so, she looked at the garden very quietly and I said, I would love to come… plant your garden. She looked everywhere and she said it is because I have seen your garden that I will allow you to plant mine.” ~ Mira Nair
Although Mira son was a competitive chess player she had not played the game. Before shooting the movie Phiona taught her.
My son played competitive chess when he was eight. … So I was part of the chess circle, but I didn’t really know chess well. I understood it, but I didn’t really play it. But, Phiona Mutesi, the real Phiona, taught me chess, prior to the shooting of the film. And you know, she would just laugh at me, because I was reckless and I would just want move the piece. And she would say, ahhh, Mira, you must consider the other side of the board. “ ~ Mira Nair
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QUEEN OF KATWE opens in theaters this Friday, September 23rd!
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