Aïssa Maïga

"I always knew it would be a collective effort where my actress friends would share their experiences"

"They were all determined and excited to make their voices heard"

"I would be delighted if after this book, and with the other actions we plan to take, that all communities be represented"

"It was time to represent blacks in French film—in under a month, we went from coauthors to a true collective"

"The best thing would be for all talents, regardless of skin color, to have access to the same opportunities"

"We survived whitewashing, blackface, tons of dealer roles, housekeepers with a Bwana accent, we survived the roles of terrorists, all the roles of hypersexualized girls"

"We’re not going to leave French cinema alone"

"We are a family. We say everything, right? All of you who are not impacted by issues related to invisibility, stereotypes or the issue of skin color…the good news is that it will not happen without you. Think inclusion"

"What is played in French cinema does not only concern our very privileged environment, it concerns all of society"

"My name would come up from time to time, but with few alternatives in the middle of an empty space"

"This emptiness has always upset me, but it also inspired me to do this project"

"The book is a commercial hit in French bookstores, proving that, contrary to what some believe, the public not only wants to read what we have to say, but they share our values of inclusion and diversity"