“Queen of Katwe” and saw
its female lead, Phiona
Mutesi, win best male chess
player, she was overjoyed.
“That was like so good and
she played against all these
boys because there wasn’t
anybody else she could play
against, and she was the best
of all,” Keys said. “I think
that was really, really
powerful.”
It was one of the many scenes
in the film starring Lupita
Nyong’O that inspired the
piano-playing star to write
“Back to Life,” a song about
hope and perseverance that
plays at the movie’s end.
“As far as we feel like we’ve
come – and as far as we’ve
come, we definitely have
made strides forward – it’s
such an important reminder
to know that when given
opportunity, young people,
especially girls, really
flourish,” Keys said in an
interview last week. “It’s just
that simple.”
JOY FEELINGS MAG!
“Queen of Katwe,” which
opened locally last week,
stars Madina Nalwanga as a
gifted chess player from the
Katwe slums in Kampala,
Uganda, who reaches new
heights in the international
chess world. Nyong’O plays
the role of her mother and
David Oyelowo is her
optimistic and passionate
chess coach. The true story
was directed by Mira Nair.
Keys said it was emotional
watching the film, which
highlights Uganda, a place
Keys has visited and done
charity work with through her
Keep a Child Alive
organization.
“All over the world, and even
in all of our backyards,
there’s just so many
incredible stories … (and) it’s
great to be a part of
continuing to just evolve and
diversify the stories that we
see and hear,” she said. “It’s
personal to me in the way
that I can identify with