Coogler says Boseman 'shielded his collaborators from his suffering' amid his cancer battle.
Before sharing my thoughts on the passing of the great Chadwick Boseman, I first offer my condolences to his family who meant so very much to him. To his wife, Simone, especially.Â
I inherited Marvel and the Russo Brothersâ casting choice of TâChalla. It is something that I will forever be grateful for. The first time I saw Chadâs performance as TâChalla, it was in an unfinished cut of Captain America: Civil War. I was deciding whether or not directing Black Panther was the right choice for me. Iâll never forget, sitting in an editorial suite on the Disney Lot and watching his scenes. His first with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, then, with the South African cinema titan, John Kani as TâChallaâs father, King TâChaka. It was at that moment I knew I wanted to make this movie. After Scarlettâs character leaves them, Chad and John began conversing in a language I had never heard before. It sounded familiar, full of the same clicks and smacks that young black children would make in the States. The same clicks that we would often be chided for being disrespectful or improper. But, it had a musicality to it that felt ancient, powerful, and African.Â
In my meeting after watching the film, I asked Nate Moore, one of the producers of the film, about the language. âDid you guys make it up?â Nate replied, âthatâs Xhosa, John Kaniâs native language. He and Chad decided to do the scene like that on set, and we rolled with it.â I thought to myself. âHe just learned lines in another language, that day?â I couldnât conceive how difficult that must have been, and even though I hadnât met Chad, I was already in awe of his capacity as actor.Â
I learned later that there was much conversation over how TâChalla would sound in the film. The decision to have Xhosa be the official language of Wakanda was solidified by Chad, a native of South Carolina, because he was able to learn his lines in Xhosa, there on the spot. He also advocated for his character to speak with an African accent, so that he could present TâChalla to audiences as an African king, whose dialect had not been conquered by the West.Â
I finally met Chad in person in early 2016, once I signed onto the film. He snuck past journalists that were congregated for a press junket I was doing for Creed, and met with me in the green room. We talked about our lives, my time playing football in college, and his time at Howard studying to be a director, about our collective vision for TâChalla and Wakanda. We spoke about the irony of how his former Howard classmate Ta-Nehisi Coates was writing TâChallaâs current arc with Marvel Comics. And how Chad knew Howard student Prince Jones, whoâs murder by a police officer inspired Coatesâ memoir Between The World and Me.Â
I noticed then that Chad was an anomaly. He was calm. Assured. Constantly studying. But also kind, comforting, had the warmest laugh in the world, and eyes that seen much beyond his years, but could still sparkle like a child seeing something for the first time. Â Â
That was the first of many conversations. He was a special person. We would often speak about heritage and what it means to be African. When preparing for the film, he would ponder every decision, every choice, not just for how it would reflect on himself, but how those choices could reverberate. âThey not ready for this, what we are doingâŠâ âThis is Star Wars, this is Lord of the Rings, but for us⊠and bigger!â He would say this to me while we were struggling to finish a dramatic scene, stretching into double overtime. Or while he was covered in body paint, doing his own stunts. Or crashing into frigid water, and foam landing pads. I would nod and smile, but I didnât believe him. I had no idea if the film would work. I wasnât sure I knew what I was doing. But I look back and realize that Chad knew something we all didnât. He was playing the long game.  All while putting in the work. And work he did.Â
He would come to auditions for supporting roles, which is not common for lead actors in big budget movies. He was there for several MâBaku auditions. In Winston Dukeâs, he turned a chemistry read into a wrestling match. Winston broke his bracelet. In Letitia Wrightâs audition for Shuri, she pierced his royal poise with her signature humor, and would bring about a smile to TâChallaâs face that was 100% Chad.Â
While filming the movie, we would meet at the office or at my rental home in Atlanta, to discuss lines and different ways to add depth to each scene. We talked costumes, military practices. He said to me âWakandans have to dance during the coronations. If they just stand there with spears, what separates them from Romans?â In early drafts of the script. Eric Killmongerâs character would ask TâChalla to be buried in Wakanda. Chad challenged that and asked, what if Killmonger asked to be buried somewhere else?Â
Chad deeply valued his privacy, and I wasnât privy to the details of his illness. After his family released their statement, I realized that he was living with his illness the entire time I knew him. Because he was a caretaker, a leader, and a man of faith, dignity and pride, he shielded his collaborators from his suffering. He lived a beautiful life. And he made great art. Day after day, year after year. That was who he was. He was an epic firework display. I will tell stories about being there for some of the brilliant sparks till the end of my days. What an incredible mark heâs left for us.Â
I havenât grieved a loss this acute before. I spent the last year preparing, imagining and writing words for him to say, that we werenât destined to see. It leaves me broken knowing that I wonât be able to watch another close-up of him in the monitor again or walk up to him and ask for another take.Â
It hurts more to know that we canât have another conversation, or facetime, or text message exchange. He would send vegetarian recipes and eating regimens for my family and me to follow during the pandemic. Â He would check in on me and my loved ones, even as he dealt with the scourge of cancer. Â
In African cultures we often refer to loved ones that have passed on as ancestors. Sometimes you are genetically related. Sometimes you are not. I had the privilege of directing scenes of Chadâs character, TâChalla, communicating with the ancestors of Wakanda. We were in Atlanta, in an abandoned warehouse, with bluescreens, and massive movie lights, but Chadâs performance made it feel real. I think it was because from the time that I met him, the ancestors spoke through him. Itâs no secret to me now how he was able to skillfully portray some of our most notable ones. I had no doubt that he would live on and continue to bless us with more. But it is with a heavy heart and a sense of deep gratitude to have ever been in his presence, that I have to reckon with the fact that Chad is an ancestor now. And I know that he will watch over us, until we meet again.
âI started out as a writer and a director. I started acting because I wanted to know how to relate to the actors. When people ask me what I do, I donât really say that Iâm an actor, because actors often wait for someone to give them roles.â
Iâm going to make a quick post and then hop back into the void from whence I came, so here we go:
This will contain spoilers for those of you that havenât seen or read Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin for elitist sensibilities, even though Isayama came up with the English title)
Telling a secret that gets a characterâs parent killed
Now, why am I writing about him, itâs mainly his past. You see, as a child, he asked a simple question during class: Why humanity had no memory of what happened before they lived within the Walls, because even if they had lost all their records, the first generation should have been able to teach their children? His teacher (who also happens to be his father) gave him the standard answer (which I cannot find at the moment). Later on, Erwinâs father shares his true thoughts on why, that the king had somehow altered humanityâs memories when they first entered the Walls so he could control them better. Unfortunately, Erwin was too innocent and naive to the reasons of why his father didnât share this in class. He shared this information with some of the kids in town, which made it back to the Military Police Brigadeâs First Interior Squad and subsequently, Erwinâs father suffered a fatal âaccidentâ. Funny, how years later, working within the system, Erwin gambles to bring down the regime responsible for his father and many othersâ deaths due to thinking outside the box, as it were. All in an effort to prove his father right, which he was.
To the ASOIAF fandom, who does this sound like?
Sansa Stark
Thatâs who! So, next time people get on Sansa for being the sole reason for Eddardâs death (which she is NOT!), point out Commander Erwin Smith of the Survey Corp from Attack on Titan lost his father in a similar manner, the girl is in good company. Erwin Smith grew up to be a legend and proved his father right. I think Sansa will prove to be just a legendary as Erwin in her own way.
[Boyega]: I want to thank every single one of you for coming out. This is very importantâthis is very vital. Black lives have always mattered! We have always been important. We have always meant something. We have always succeeded regardless, and now is the time. I ainât waiting! I ainât waiting! I have been born in this country, Iâm 28 years old, born and raised in London, Iâve grown tiredâevery black person understands and realizes the first time you are reminded that you are black. You remember, every black person in here remembers, when another person reminded you that you are black. So none of you out there, all those protestors on the other side protesting against what we want to do, protesting against what we want to try and achieve, [?] you, because this is so vital.
[Other voices, to crowd]: Sit down! Sit down!
[Boyega]: Sit down, guys, we have to sit down. If you could sit down, if you can sit down. Now I need you guys to understand, I need you to understand now how painful this shit is! I need you to understand how painful it is to be reminded every day that your race means nothing! And that isnât the case anymore. That is never the case anymore. We are going to try todayâwe are a physical representation of our support for George Floyd.
[Crowd cheers]
[Boyega]: We are a physical representation of our support for Sandra Bland! We are a physical representation of our support for Trayvon Martin! We are a physical representation of our support for Stephen Lawrence! For Mark Duggan! It is very, very important that we keep control of this moment and we make this as peaceful as possible. We make this as peaceful and as organized as possible. Because you know what, guys, they want us to mess up. They want us to be disorganized. But not today! Not today!
[Other voices]: Not today!
[Boyega]: Not today! And now this message is specifically for black men. Black men, weâ[Boyega cuts off, crying and bending over from emotion]
[Crowd]: Speak! Speak!
[Other voices]: You can do this, youâve got this.
[Boyega]: Black men, black men, we need to take care of our black women. We need to take care of them! They are our hearts! They are our hearts, they are our future, we cannot demonize our own. We are the pillars of the family. Imagine this, a nation that is set up with individual families that are thriving, that are healthy, that communicate, that raise their children in love, have a better rate of becoming better human beings, and thatâs what we need to create. Black men, it starts with you, and itâs done, manâwe canât be trash no more. We have to be better.
You donât understand, Iâm speaking to you from the heart. Look, I donât know if Iâm going to have a career after this. But fuck that--[words bleeped out]. This, today, is about innocent people who were halfway through their process. We donât know what George Floyd could have achieved; we donât know what Sandra Bland could have achieved. But today weâre going to make sure that that wonât be an alien thought to our young ones. Iâm sure you lot came today, you left your kids, and when you see your kids there aimlessly playing, they donât understand whatâs going on. Today is the day that we remind them that we are dedicated, and this is a lifelong dedication. Guys, we donât leave here and stop, you know. We donât leave here and stop. This is longevity. Some of you are artists, some of you are bankers, some of you are lawyers, some of you own shops, stores. You are important. Your individual power, your individual right, is very, very important. We can all join together to make this a better world. We can all join together to make this special. We can all join together!
anonymous leaked bolsonaroâs private info including his credit card number and someone on twitter bought a whole ass macbook pro with it. yes. a person bought an macbook pro with the presidentâs credit card. this country really isnât for beginners
hey, brazilian person here. it may all sound funny and shit (and damn, he even got affiliated to many left wing parties) but⊠heâs been trying to insure a dictatorship even since he got elected. thereâs been protests against democracy and heâs been attending them all (without a mask, btw. meanwhile, almost 30k have died of coronavirus, we still got no health minister, even if i called it anarchy we still would prefer anarchy cause this is a whole new level). we are now standing in solidarity with USA! our police system is the most deadly in the world, killing 2x more than the american, specially young black kids. if you can, please keep an eye out for us and sign the petition justice for JoĂŁo Pedro
PAY ATTENTION TO BRAZIL. BLACK PEOPLE ARE BEING KILLED EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. AND SEVERAL OF THEM ARE FUCKING KIDS.
the one petition everyone is sharing is for JoĂŁo Pedro, was was killed inside his home, he was shot on his back. 70, and i repeat, 70 shots were fired against the house he was in, and the police claimed it was because they were in a confront. everyone near his house confirmed there wasnât anything going around.
but thatâs just the tip of the iceberg.
SAY THEIR NAMES
LUCAS CUSTĂDIO DOS SANTOS. he was a sixteen years old boy who got shot on his leg after returning from a soccer game. his last words were âyou donât have to kill me, sirâ
CARLOS MAGNO DE OLIVEIRA NASCIMENTO (18 yo, student), CARLOS ALBERTO DA SILVA (21 yo, painter and bricklawyer) EVERSON GONĂALVES SILOTE (26 yo, taxi driver) AND THIAGO DA COSTA CORREIA DA SILVA (19 yo, mechanic). They were killed on an event now known as âChacina do Borelâ it happened in 2003 and no one was held responsible.
HERINALDO VINICIUS DE SANTANA. he was an eleven years old boy who left his house to buy a ping pong ball. he was with money on his hands. His last words were âI want my momâ
ALAN DE SOUZA LIMA. He was fifteen and his last words âwe were just playing, sirâ
DOUGLAS RODRIGUES, 17 years old. His last words: âWhy did you shoot me, Sr?â. The policemen was acquitted for lack of evidence.
REMEMBER MATEUS SANTOS DE MORAIS, FIVE YEARS OLD. FIVE. YEARS. OLD. He got shot while playing in front of his house. SAY HIS NAME.
ĂGATHA FELIX. 8 YEARS OLD. She was returning home with her mother when she got shot. FOR NO REASON. SAY HER NAME.
FABIO DOS SANTOS VIERA, 21 years. He was shot because, according to the police, he was holding a gun. That gun was never found.
EVALDO DOS SANTOS ROSA, 51 years old. 257 SHOTS FIRED AT HIS CAR. SAY HIS NAME. His family was inside of it too, including a 7 year old kid. Evaldo died instantly. NO JUSTICE NO PEACE
MATHEUS OLIVEIRA, 23. The Police got >>scared<< and shot him in the head. He had just become a father.
MARCUS VINICIUS, 14 years. shot during a police operation while returning from school, his last words:â Didnât they see that I was wearing school clothes, mom?â.
EMILLY CAETANO DA COSTA, 9 years old, was shot two times on the back. The police said the vehicle her family was in was suspicious. They chased the car and shot five times. Her mom, dad, and two sisters were in the car.
LUCAS, 14 years old,disappeared after some cops take him out from his home, his body was found floating at a lake in a park.
MARIA EDUARDA, 13 YEARS OLD. Killed inside of her SCHOOL! SAY HER NAME
victims of the Costa Barros massacre, killed by the police with 111 SHOTS while celebrating the youngestâs first salary.
Wilton Estever Domingos Jr, 20. Wesley Castro Rodrigues, 25. Cleiton CorrĂȘa de Souza, 18. Carlos Eduardo Silva Souza, 16. Roberto Silva de Souza, 16. Victims of the Costa Barros massacre, killed by the police with 111 SHOTS while celebrating the youngestâs first salary.
PEDRO GONZAGA, 19, killed by a supermarket security guard. He was suffocated and suffered cardiac arrest.
KETELLEN GOMES, 5 years old. Was riding her bike when she was shot during a police operation. Her last words was âMom, donât cry, no, momâ. The target from the shooters was Davi Gabriel Martins Nascimento, 17 years old, who also died.
75% of those killed by the police in Brazil are black.
Black people are 147% more likely to be murdered than white people in this country.
Brazil currently has the highest rate of killing of Blacks in the world outside Africa. It far surpasses the U.S.
EVERY 23 SECONDS, A BLACK PERSON IS KILLED IN BRAZIL.
Iâm sorry you loved Queen Daenerys Targaryen, the Unburnt, Queen of Meereen, Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Khaleesi of Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Shackles and Mother of Dragons
All joking aside, I am genuinely sorry for people who related to her character in such a deep way. Iâm not as sorry for people who love her just because they do, but to the women who found her story of abuse relatable, or her fear of mental illness. I understand why you felt so attached to her, and how this could be a huge blow to how you view the story in general.
But that is not George Martinâs fault.Â
A huge part of enjoying fantasy, and books/art in general, is that it gives us a whole new world to step into and enjoy. A Song of Ice and Fire in particular encourages readers to really step into the characters (especially considering the POV structure of the books) and understand why they do the things they do. George Martin wanted his readers to empathize with Daenerys, and how she went from a scared young girl to being the Mother of Dragons. But he is not responsible for the life history of all of his readers. Just because you saw something in particular in Daenerys, does not invalidate what the creator of Daenerys sees in her. You may have found strength in her reclaiming her life from Viserys, moving on from her abuse, and rising to be Queen of Meereen, but that doesnât change that Martin has been writing her as grey from the start. Just because you found personal satisfaction in her highs, does not invalidate her lows.Â
From the start, Daenerys was written as the natural antagonist of our heroes (Starks). We know that she is being lied to, and is lying to herself, when her first chapter starts with lines such as âThe Usurper and his dogâ and âDragons did not mate with the beasts of the field, and Targaryens did not mingle their blood with that of lesser menâ. If you comb through any of Daenerysâ chapters, youâre bound to find at least 4 or 5 quotes that shouldâve been raising red flags for readers. George Martin literally begged people to understand what he was doing when he publicly said The Meereenese Blot understood exactly what he was doing with Daenerys. Its unfair to say GRRM didnât try and warn you.
As far as âwell she also freed slaves!â that is an oversimplification, and contrasts what Martin himself thinks about people:
We have the angels and the demons inside of us, and our lives are a succession of choices. Look at a figure like Woodrow Wilson, one of the most fascinating presidents in American history. He was despicable on racial issues. He was a Southern segregationist of the worst stripe, praising D.W. Griffith and The Birth of a Nation. He effectively was a Ku Klux Klan supporter. But in terms of foreign affairs, and the League of Nations, he had one of the great dreams of our time. The war to end all wars â we make fun of it now, but God, it was an idealistic dream. If heâd been able to achieve it, weâd be building statues of him a hundred feet high, and saying, âThis was the greatest man in human history: This was the man who ended war.â He was a racist who tried to end war. Now, does one cancel out the other? Well, they donât cancel out the other. You canât make him a hero or a villain. He was both. And weâre all both.
This is very clearly Martin talking about Daenerys, and how someone who did great things can also be terrible.Â
What Iâm trying to say is, it is perfectly okay that you found strength in certain elements of Daenerysâ story. If she made you feel better or helped you recover, thatâs okay. Itâs okay that you didnât see certain elements of her story because you loved the good parts. But you also have to admit you fell in love with your Daenerys, not George Martinâs. GRRM has written an extensive amount of characters actively fighting against destructive and oppressive power structures, while also overcoming their abusers, so to demonize his story at this point is unfair. Daenerys never represented those things within his narrative, so he never took that away from her.
Your Daenerys may represent those things, and she still can. If you enjoy your interpretation of the character, write that. But donât say George Martin made a mistake, because he didnât.Â
You can take it back even further to the Archudkeâs assassin just bumping into him deciding to get a sandwich. One manâs need for lunch 100 years ago gave rise to tentacle porn half the world away. What a world.
1. Archduke Ferndinand is murdered, causing World War 1.
2. The Allies win WW1, imposing the Treaty of Versailles on Germany.
3. This causes tension between Germany and the rest of Europe, something Adolf Hitler takes advantage of and begins WW2.
4. Japan joins the axis in WW2 in order to expand their empire.
5. The Axis is defeated, and Japan comes under US occupation.
6. American soldiers bring comic books, cartoons, and other American mediums to Japan which stay behind even after the occupation is over.
7. Post-WW2 Japan imposes strict censorship laws that include the banning of most conventional porn.
8. Japanese citizens retaliate by drawing comics with women having sex with vaguely penis-shaped objects like tentacles to exploit loopholes in the law.
9. It establishes itself as a fetish even after the laws are relaxed, and so Hentai was born.
