Best documentary short subject, Music by Prudence: Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett's Oscar Acceptance Speech. Note: Following her odd appearance onstage during which she cut into Williams' speech, former Salon contributor Burkett told that online publication's Kelly Lauerman:
"What happened was the director and I had a bad difference over the direction of the film that resulted in a lawsuit that has settled amicably out of court. But there have been all these events around the Oscars, and I wasn't invited to any of them. And he's not speaking to me. So we weren't even able to discuss ahead of the time who would be the one person allowed to speak if we won. And then, as I'm sure you saw, when we won, he raced up there to accept the award. And his mother took her cane and blocked me. So I couldn't get up there very fast."
And you thought those things only happened at the movies…
Asked about the reason for the conflict, Burkett explained that Music by Prudence should have been about the entire band, Liyana, but "the director and HBO decided to focus solely on Prudence."
Here's the transcript of the Williams-Burkett Oscar acceptance speech:
Roger Ross Williams: Oh, my god. This is amazing. Two years ago when I got on an airplane and went to Zimbabwe, I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I'd end up here. This is so exciting. This is so exciting. So exciting.
Elinor Burkett: …Let the woman talk. Isn't that the classic thing? In a world in which most of us are told and tell ourselves that we can't. Liyana, the band behind this film, teaches us that we're wrong. Against all odds they did, so we can. So the bottom line is, to me, my role models and my heroes, Marvelous and Energy, Tapiwa, Goodwell, the whole rest of the band and especially Prudence.
Roger Ross Williams: And Prudence who is here. Who is back there. Prudence is here tonight. This is for Prudence.
And here are Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett (above, with Carey Mulligan and Zoe Saldana) answering questions from journalists backstage:
Q. So how did you hear about Prudence, and do you have any plans to expand this into a feature film?
Elinor Burkett: I live in Zimbabwe, and I moved to Zimbabwe five years ago from the Catskills where we both live. And I began to hear the band and Prudence as part of my daily life. And Roger was my neighbor and was asking for ideas for documentary films. And I came up with this idea and I called Roger and he came over and he directed the film. Feature film is being cut for European/ African news and already cut out for sale.
Q. We saw you on the red carpet, we were so excited. We heard the young lady singing and she's amazing.
What do you think this story will do now to introduce people to not only all of the atrocities going on in Zimbabwe, but in Africa in general in terms of the people like this young lady?
Roger Ross Williams: Well, the disabled are the forgotten kids of Africa, and I hope this raises money for the school that Prudence went to, King George the VI School for Disabilities. I hope this raises awareness for the issue. I hope that this helps the band. There's so much that I hope this film does, and I just I can't I am in shock, so…
Photos: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S.
Click on the photos to enlarge them.
At the Telluride MountainFilm Festival on Memorial Day I met Roger Williams, saw the movie Music by Prudence, and heard Prudence perform live. Wonderfully Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary) came on stage and performed with Prudence. All of this was a wonderful experience. Roger Williams is a delightful person to meet and continues to support Prudence in the joys that follow their mutual recognition by the Academy.
As a result of their participation at the Telluride FilmFest, Dr. Rick Hodes who stars in "Making the Crooked Straight" has arranged to have Prudence's spinal problems corrected by a foremost back surgeon in New York plus corrective surgery for her hand as well. Anyone who was inspired by this movie and wants to help Prudence can do so by going to Rickhodes.org and clicking on donate.
Madge, I would take anything Ms. Burkett says with a grain of salt. She WAS included in earlier Oscar week events, Roger Ross Williams WAS the designated acceptance speaker (while more than one person may speak for larger awards, the shorts were strictly limited to a single speaker), and she DIDN'T name all members of the band — she named four, fobbed off three others as "all the others" and then named Prudence (who, if you look at the clip and the reaction shot of Prudence in the audience, very subtly shared a look with the woman seated to her right, that didn't seem to reflect too well on Elinor!).
As for "running to the stage" — I've seen plenty of Oscar winners run for the stage, especially if they're seated in the back, and I have seen speakers begin before the entire group arrives, especially if it's a large group of recipients.
This is a woman who Betty Friedan hung up the phone on! (She protested Elinor Burkett's crusade against "special favors" given to parents!)
Also, note that Roger Williams was also a producer as well as the director. Patrick Wright was another co-producer, as well as associate editor. HBO provided funds, as well. Elinor Burkett is a wealthy woman who dissociated herself from the film because she didn't like the creative direction it was taking and sued the rest of the people working on the project. Real nice. She could afford to sue, and I'm sure HBO and Williams wanted to settle before running up huge legal bills — I'm guessing the settlement included Burkett retaining a producing credit. But I think the proof of the validity of the creative direction (that Burkett didn't like) is in the pudding, er… Oscar.
I'm really amazed at people who think Roger Williams was rude!!! He seemed the epitome of class to me.
I was watching the Oscars and I thought 'Why is he running off and leaving that lady'? The particulars of what went down between Mr. Williams and Ms. Burkett did not matter. She made him aware of Liyana, and she produced it. He should not have shut her out when the Doc was nominated, he should not have ignored her attempts to contact/talk to him, and definitely should not have run up there to accept the Oscar without her. She made sure to mention everyone in the group. He brought that ruinous moment on himself. Still, Music by Prudence deserved to win the Oscar, touches my heart and soul, and makes me cry. I will be purchasing my very own DVD soon.
EtiquetteB — the transcript is EXACTLY correct — Burkett said "and especially Prudence" and Williams said the rest (with Burkett trying to interrupt him again, echoing "who is here tonight")
Watch the clip: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/08/short-film-producer-elino_n_489893.html
Elinor Burkett was clearly out of line. By her own words, she said that the movie took a direction that she did not endorse. She said that she left the movie over a year ago. She was only able to be on the ballot as a technicality. It's not her vision, it's not her film, the vision which won the award was the director's. He should have gotten the award. She didn't deserve it and she stole his moment!
So many people are giving her crap for supposedly pulling a "Kanye" but I'm wondering if she's the one that got shafted. If you look at the video when the winner is announced, she clearly gets up at the same time he does but for some reason can't get through the aisle. He just happened to be closer and ran to the stage. Plus, it makes no sense that they would only allow one person to accept the award if there were obviously two.
In her own words, 'the director and I had a bad difference over the direction of the film that resulted in a lawsuit…', meaning, she didn;t agree with what he did – and yet, when it wins, she's up there to claim it
!
I could not believe what I was seeing. It made no sense! Just rude and out of place. She had no respect for him at all, I wonder why!
Hard work and professional accomplishment must be acknowledged. This was not a lone project. You go girl.
technically, yes, it was rude, but i'm giving burkett a pass on this one. she was due to accept the oscar as well, and his mom blocked her with her cane???
and I don't think the transcript is right. it was burkett who said, "she's here tonight." and if i recall right, williams went on about how he wanted to do this since he was a child. (?)
What trash! Unbelievable! People like that are never anything but low class. I turned off the show during her unwanted visit to the stage and did not watch the rest.
She was seriously very rude for interrupting him. He deserved to soak in the moment and finish his gracious speech.
That was really stupid of her to interupt his speech..what is wrong with people? Do they not have any manners?