- You're a Black man that killed a cop
and then took his gun.
- I'm not a criminal.
- You are now.
Daniel Kaluuya, I have a question.
'Queen & Slim' has drawn a few comparisons
to Bonnie and Clyde.
The only difference being here
that they only become infamous criminals
by daring to defend themselves.
Can you speak a bit about the intentionality
of mirroring their journey after actual criminals?
- What I find interesting
is the projection upon them.
And that's usually to do with
the criminalization of Black people.
And so,
Do you know what I'm trying to say?
And, that journey starts there.
But, actually, I understand
because people kind of love that kind of story,
in the film and out of the film.
The Bonnie and Clyde, the romance of that.
But, it's actually,
I would see it closer to Thelma and Louise,
narratively speaking, in terms of beats,
and what they go through.
- Many of the Black people that Queen and Slim encounter
have come to revere them as heroes,
but there are a few who aren't as thrilled
with what they've done.
Why was that dichotomy important?
- Because it shows there's an array of perspectives
within the community.
There's a nuance,
and even the people that are on the same side
they have different reasons why they're
on that same side.
I think it was really important for Lena
to kind of show all the whole spectrum
of Black life and Black perspective.
- Yeah, I think they spend a lot
of the movie rejecting that title as well.
Like, they don't, especially your character,
he doesn't want to be seen as a hero.
He's just trying to get back to his family.
- I mean, I've been in a similar situation
when there's stuff projected upon you
as there this kind of like,
you've done this.
It's like he doesn't believe he's brave.
He doesn't believe he's brave.
He just didn't want to die.
- I just want to go home,
and I wanna see my family.
- And like the fact that not wanting to die
is, like, some aspiration or noble
trait in a Black person.
Ya know what I'm saying?
It's like it's very,
now what does that say about society
and the context that we're living in at the moment.
- Lena Waithe has called this film protest art,
and Melina Matsoukas has kind of echoed that
by saying that,
"It's a film that defines Black love
"as a revolutionary act."
What's it like to hear that
and know that you're a part of it?
- Try and not, like, focus on the knowledge of that.
Do you know what I'm trying to say
it's, especially when filming it.
I'm playing a guy.
- Did you think we were gonna have sex?
- Nah. (chuckles)
- That's the fascinating thing about
them, because I don't think they become icons,
when they're in the room with each other.
They just humans that have,
had the blessed opportunity to find a connection.
You know what I'm trying to say?
And love that connection.
So, in terms of me,
like, I try and,
I understand it has that
reach and has that potential but,
I can't really think of it that way because,
it's just like, this is something I want to see,
and it's a story I want to tell.
And, if you see it that way,
it changes how you approach things.
- But do you believe that art has
the power to create real social change?
- Honestly?
- Yes.
- (laughs) - Always (laughs)
- My thing about art,
is that I think what we do gives hope
to the people that are actually on the front line.
Because what real change is
is on a very local level.
Which I mean is making sure
that family gets housed,
or you help with, like,
I don't know, food
if that family's not got food at Thanksgiving,
or that homeless person this, that, and the other.
And sometimes as well
it's about escapism
and feeling like in this film, I win.
In this film, I think differently,
I make different decisions.
And giving people that opportunity
to do that for two, three hours.
And in terms of creating real change,
a man said it was like,
about James Brown, "I'm Black and I'm Proud."
This is what he said about it.
You know what I'm trying to say?
You know what I'm saying?
I would never assume that I'm creating real change
with the stuff I do,
'cause I don't,
I understand why people say that,
I do understand why people say that, but,