(Toronto) Canadian documentary filmmaker Barry Avrich says he “misspoke” in his acceptance speech at a Screen Awards on Monday when he said black stories should be told , no matter by whom.
Posted at 12:03 p.m.
Mr. Avrich, who is not black, came under fire this week after the comment at a virtual Canadian Screen Awards ceremony on Monday, where his documentary Oscar Peterson: Black and White was awarded.
The documentarian then declared: “Here is the proof that there are so many stories of black people in Canada that need to be told. It doesn’t matter who tells them, we just have to tell them.”
Among other bodies, the Black Screen Office and the Reelworld Film Festival, which supports cultural diversity in the film industry, said Barry Avrich’s remarks downplayed the importance of black filmmakers in telling black stories. in Canada, when it is already difficult for them to obtain financing for their projects.
The director regrets that his words, which were intended to be “support for black creators who tell their own stories”, were “misinterpreted”.
Avrich’s documentary explores the life of famed Montreal-born black pianist Oscar Peterson, and is told largely through archival interviews with the musician, intercut with performances by Canadian jazz artists.