Nina Simone biopic distributor says 'blackface' criticism 'hearkens back to how slaves were treated'

'The slave masters separated light-skinned blacks from dark-skinned blacks'

(YouTube)

The first trailer for the long-delayed Nina Simone biopic caused controversy upon its release two weeks ago, with many finding fault with Zoe Saldana’s casting as the titular singer.

Simone’s family were quick to react, with her estate calling it “nauseating” and “soul crushing” via Twitter, while her daughter Lisa referred to the documentary as “tainted”.

The biopic’s distributor, Robert L. Johnson, founder of RLJ Entertainment, has spoken out against the critics, branding it a relic of slavery-era attitudes.

“It’s unfortunate that African Americans are talking about this in a way that hearkens back to how we were treated when we were slaves,” Johnson told The Hollywood Reporter.

“The slave masters separated light-skinned blacks from dark-skinned blacks, and some of that social DNA still exists today among many black people.”

Saldana wore skin-darkening makeup and facial prosthetics while playing Simone. Johnson went on to compare the arguments against casting the actor as being like a brown paper bag test in which ‘certain black community gatherings would only admit individuals whose skin was lighter than the bag’.

"That's where some of this comes from, when you hear people saying that a light-skinned woman can't play a dark-skinned woman when they're both clearly of African descent," he continued.

"To say that if I'm gonna cast a movie, I've gotta hold a brown paper bag up to the actresses and say, 'Oh sorry, you can't play her.' Who's to decide when you're black enough?”

Johnson went on to say people should not judge the film until they have seen it: "Make the judgment on the talent of the actors, make the judgment on the writing, but don't make it on whether or not Zoe Saldana is as black as Nina.

“You can always say, 'Gee, I can find somebody who's blacker. Let’s talk about [the film] in terms of giving talented African-Americans a chance to play roles that they're qualified to play.”

Born in North Carolina in 1933, Simone - real name Eunice Waymon - recorded over 40 albums, fusing gospel and pop with a jazz singing style. The singer and civil rights activist died at the age of 70 in 2003.

Despite extreme delays, Nina is set to be released this coming April. The film co-stars Selma actor David Oyelowo while first-timer Cynthia Mort directs.