As director of international original films for Netflix, Nigerian-American Funa Maduka built an Oscar-winning powerhouse. Last year she left Netflix to work on her own projects, likely aimed at lifting hidden voices. It started at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for underprivileged girls in South Africa, where Maduka rose to become dean and saw the girls go on to pursue PhDs, fight for social justice and even share the stage with Michelle Obama, accomplishments she reels off with pride. It continued when she got to Netflix in early 2014 and didn’t see any content from Africa. “I naturally just asked why,” she says, eventually helping lead a global film powerhouse as its director of international original films. Now Maduka is placing her boldest bet yet, leaving the streaming giant last year to work on her own projects. “I’m taking a break from corporate life and speaking more about telling our stories,” she says.
SOURCE: OZY
More Stories
Astronomical Tourism has Become Famous in Egypt
Raising Awareness on Environmental Issues in Zimbabwe through Creativity
Fast Track to a Modern Senegal
The Cape Verde Rapper with a Feminist Message
French Gallerist Cecile Fakhoury on The Contemporary African Art Scene
8 Queer-Owned African Fashion Brands to Check Out For Pride
Tunisian City Attracts a New Type of Tourist
DYK that the Green Point Lighthouse is the Oldest Operational Lighthouse in South Africa?
This Mauritian Resort is the Definition of Relaxation
Who Wouldn’t Happily Take a trip to Seychelles at Any Given Point in the Year?
Your July Destination is Sorted
A Gourmet Revival of Sierra Leone’s Bold Flavours