Idris Elba calls for better UK film diversity: ‘Storytelling helps us understand each other’

‘Luther’ star says need for ‘cultural recovery’ in the UK is just as important as restarting the economy in article about representation and his love for independent cinema

Idris Elba has written a powerful essay about the need to protect UK independent cinema (Getty)

Idris Elba has detailed his views on the film industry and the Black Lives Matter movement in a powerful essay.

Writing for The Sunday Times, the British actor said we have seen “unprecedented unity” around the Black Lives Matter campaign in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.

“I’ve been through four or five moments of massive protest in my lifetime: from Brixton to Tottenham, you name it, I’ve seen them, and this one has a very different character,” Elba said.

“It feels as though it’s about an entire nation, and a nation finally acknowledging its diversity needs a diverse film culture – we have to protect it at the time we need it most.”

The Black Lives Matter movement has helped spark widespread calls for change in the British entertainment industries.

This week, the BBC announced it was pledging £100m to increasing its representation both on and off-screen.

The news comes after 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen said that the UK TV and film industries needed to address and challenge the “blatant racism” within itself.

“Last year, I visited a TV-film set in London,” he wrote. “It felt like I had walked out of one environment, the London I was surrounded by, into another, a place that was alien to me… The UK is so far behind in terms of representation, it’s shameful.”

Elba continued in his essay: “Lots of open, sometimes quite difficult conversations are being had right now and many of us are on a journey of education. Independent film is a vital part of that.”

He also explained why the UK’s “cultural recovery” is just as important as restarting the economy.

“We have a duty to develop new talent, and a duty to keep our film culture alive, so that more people like me can tell you our stories,” he said.

“Storytelling helps us understand each other better, and understanding each other better is the best hope we have.”

Read the full essay here.