RCA/Paola KudackiA new Alicia Keys song will be featured in Queen of Katwe, a new film based on the true story of a girl who rises from the streets of Uganda to become an international chess champion.
The song, called “Back to Life,” will appear in the film and on the movie’s soundtrack. In a statement, Alicia says that the movie “moved me in every way,” adding, that the story of the girl, Phiona [Fiona] Mutesi, “embodies the message that the rise to success first begins with opportunity, and the belief you have in yourself to pursue something bigger.”
Alicia says that the song “is about pushing past that little voice of doubt in our heads so we can instead, electrify the world,” adding, “When we allow women to find and express their power and potential, the world changes for the better.” She hopes people will see the movie, go back to their communities and “encourage a girl who will rise like a flower that breaks through the concrete!”
Oscar-nominated director Mira Nair says the movie “celebrates the idea that genius is everywhere.”
Queen of Katwe will have its world premiere September 10 at the Toronto Film Festival. It opens September 23 in limited release. It stars Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o as Phiona’s mother, and Selma star David Oyelowo [oh YELL oh woah] as soccer player-turned-missionary Robert Katende, who teaches Phiona how to play chess.
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