amandla stenberg to critics of “nazi romance” film: stop forming opinions off of rumor

In response to backlash against their upcoming interracial WWII love story, ‘Where Hands Touch’, artist/activist Amandla Stenberg addressed critics of the not yet released film who claim that it will “romanticize” Nazis and the horrors of the holocaust, by asking folks to reserve judgement and not to oversimplify filmmaker Amma Asante‘s (“Belle”, “A United Kingdom”) storytelling: “How are we supposed to perpetuate change and defend identity – especially when it is needed so badly in today’s political climate – if we are more concerned with declaring our judgements of others in order to affirm our own righteousness?,” Stenberg wrote on Tumblr. “If we are forming our opinions off of rumor, heresay, and perhaps most alarmingly, agreeing with others just to agree and feel a false sense of virtue and satisfaction?[…]Y’all, I’m out here trying to do the work. I’m not your target.[…]This film isn’t simply a love story, but rather a portrayal of human truth in a world of atrocious violence created by a dictator that children are forced to navigate.” Read Stenberg’s full statement, here.

*Erin White is an Atlanta-based writer and AFROPUNK’s editorial and social media assistant. You can follow her on Tumblr or friend her on Facebook. Have a pitch or an inquiry? Shoot her an email at erin@afropunk.com.