Musician Boots Riley drew inspiration for his feature directing debut “Sorry to Bother You” from his own workplace experiences. “I’ve done telemarketing before in my life,” he explains, “and grumbled while I was in the cubical that I would have revenge on the industry.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Riley above.
Set in an alternate present-day Oakland, this Annapurna release centers on an African-American telemarketer (Lakeith Stanfield) who rises in the ranks after learning to adopt a “white voice.” He soon finds himself entangled in a vast conspiracy and must choose between his newfound financial success and human rights activism.
See ‘Sorry to Bother You’ is a strong contender for Best Original Screenplay
As he developed the idea Riley began peppering the script with “surreal” elements, which he introduced as a way of “trying to talk about certain things” that were difficult to articulate. When trying to put...
Set in an alternate present-day Oakland, this Annapurna release centers on an African-American telemarketer (Lakeith Stanfield) who rises in the ranks after learning to adopt a “white voice.” He soon finds himself entangled in a vast conspiracy and must choose between his newfound financial success and human rights activism.
See ‘Sorry to Bother You’ is a strong contender for Best Original Screenplay
As he developed the idea Riley began peppering the script with “surreal” elements, which he introduced as a way of “trying to talk about certain things” that were difficult to articulate. When trying to put...
- 12/13/2018
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
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