*This Thanksgiving eve, catch the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, “Nanny,” written and directed by Nikyatu Jusu – the second Black female filmmaker to win this prize.
The horror film is led by Anna Diop (Aisha) and follows an undocumented Senegalese caregiver in New York who dreams of bringing her son to America. EUR talked to the actress and director about the psychological fable and family encounters.
Q: Anna your mom was a domestic worker, did any of her work experience help you prepare to play Aisha?
AD: She did have some crazy stories because sometimes you’re working with peculiar families. One family she worked for 12 years – when she started they had one kid by the time she finished they had three kids and she never got a raise. They loved her, she was invaluable, the kids adored her and she was always on time. I’m protective of my mom so that always rubbed me the wrong way. Experiencing her go through those things definitely informed some of my emotional performance and choices.
Q: Nikyatu what was the most invigorating scene to direct?
NJ: This is probably the closest I’ll ever be in terms of writing and directing…until I have the bandwidth to write and direct again. I love playing with tools and fantasy because a lot of marginalized filmmakers don’t get access to the budgets that are required for fantasy. A lot of audiences don’t realize how expensive it is to create within fantasy because whether it’s practical effects or CGI it costs a lot of money, which is why a lot of us don’t get to play in these worlds. I love creature features. I love tricking people into caring about stories they typically wouldn’t. I love the work we did with Anansi the spider and Mami Wata even though we didn’t have the budget. It was an extensive process of casting a Black stunt woman who knew how to swim and was Anna’s complexion.
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Anna Diop (Aisha) and Nikyatu Jusu (Writer & Director on ‘Nanny’)
Anna Diop and Rose Decker star in Nanny – Credit Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Anna Diop and Sinqua Walls star in Nanny – Credit Courtesy of Amazon Studios
“Nanny” also stars Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector, Rose Decker, Leslie Uggams and Zephani Idoko. Find out MORE via our exclusive video interview below.
Find out what happens when an undocumented Senegalese nanny in New York dreams of bringing her son to America in theaters November 23. Or stream it on Prime Video December 16.
