Mira Nair’s film bucks the quintessential in favor of diving into important questions about love, family, and home. As a child, Mina (Sarita Choudhury) and her family were forced to leave Uganda and begin again in Mississippi. Her father remains committed to returning home, but Mina finds herself caught between the home she left and the one she’s in now—especially after meeting Demetrius (Denzel Washington). Their interracial love is disdained by both their communities, which means they must make hard decisions about the future.

The film will be introduced by Francis Cullado, Executive Director of Visual Communications, a Los Angeles-based organization actively developing and supporting the voices of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander filmmakers and media artists who empower communities and challenge perspectives.

After the screening there will be a reception in the Ted Mann Lobby to gather, connect, and celebrate the launch of the Summer of Love: 1990s Romances series with the series programmers and Visual Communications. Complimentary coffee, tea, and pastries will be provided.

DIRECTOR: Mira Nair. WRITTEN BY: Sooni Taraporevala. CAST: Sarita Choudhury, Denzel Washington, Roshan Seth, Charles S. Dutton. 1991. 117 min. USA. Color. English. DCP. New 4K digital restoration undertaken by the Criterion Collection and supervised by director Mira Nair and cinematographer Ed Lachman.

All film screenings in the Summer of Love: 1990s Romances series are available here.  

This screening of Mississippi Masala is presented in community partnership with Visual Communications.

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation.