Whitaker is the face of the company, but his secret weapon is Yang Bongiovi, who’s changing the rules about which movies can and should get made. Five films from five directors of color-most of them first-time filmmakers-with diverse casts, a rarity in Hollywood. Whitaker and Yang Bongiovi’s Significant Productions has birthed such films as Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station, Chloé Zhao’s debut feature Songs My Brothers Taught Me, Rick Famuyiwa’s Dope, the Sundance hit Roxanne Roxanne, and this summer’s indie breakout Sorry to Bother You. That moment of happenstance has evolved into a production partnership that’s spawned some of the most acclaimed, most unlikely successes to emanate from Hollywood in recent years. And I thought if we could support each other, we could do amazing things.” I thought she had the capacity to do more if she was supported. “Her openness, her passion, her ability to go into a situation and see the difficulties, but also see the possibilities. “It was really exciting,” said Whitaker from New York, where he is filming the new Epix/ABC Signature Studios television show Godfather of Harlem. I was sure he wouldn’t want to work with me anymore.” My father brought him five pirated D.V.D.s of his movies for him to sign. “My brother tried to sell him Herbalife during dinner. “It was really embarrassing,” said Yang Bongiovi over breakfast recently. Soon, the unlikely duo was touring around Shanghai Studios, eating dinner in her father’s home, and meeting Yang’s childhood friends. (It was really a trip to visit her brothers and father, but she wanted to appear professional.) Much to Yang’s surprise, Whitaker asked if he could tag along. Yang told Whitaker she was headed back to Shanghai soon to conduct more research.
Whitaker, fresh off his Academy Award win for his portrayal of Idi Amin in Last King of Scotland, was intrigued by the story, but thought the script needed more work.
Despite all that, her ambition continued unabated-and she brazenly approached Forest Whitaker to play the role of the husband in her nascent film. She had also ended her engagement to her boyfriend of three years. It was a tough time for Yang: she was suffering from severe depression after losing both her mother and sister to respiratory issues. In 2008, Nina Yang Bongiovi was just Nina Yang, a 35-year-old struggling producer desperate to get her fictional film about an inter-racial couple’s struggle to adopt a baby from China into production.
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