(Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie-Turner-Smith, Dir Melina Matsoukas, Writer Lena Waithe)

The film Queen and Slim is the creation of Director Melina Matsoukas, born of a Cuban mother who was raised on the island, and migrated to New York at 10 yrs old. If you’ve seen Beyonce’s music video “Formation”, a solidarity love letter to New Orleans, then you’ve experienced her incredibly elegant eye behind the camera.

This particular story (written by @lenawaithe ) takes place in the United States, with an African-American couple, played by Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Black Panther) and introducing Jodie-Turner-Smith. Both are running from law enforcement due to the accidental killing of a cop in self-defense. Their destination? Cuba. “Cuba represents a refuge for these characters,” notes the seasoned visual artist.

@Remezcla writes: “Black unity, as the community’s greatest weapon against oppression, guided Matsoukas’ vision for Queen & Slim. She wanted to speak about the similarities shared among Turner-Smith who has Jamaican roots, Kaluuya who is of Ugandan descent, herself and black people at large. ‘I am a black Latina. My mother is a black woman from Cuba, and this film is to speak to the African diaspora. We’re all from the same place; we just landed in different countries when we were stolen from our land,’ ” she affirms.

The film can now be streamed on Amazon Prime or for download on the Universal website. For more info, visit the Queen & Slim Instagram.