Asta Leigh wants to call attention to social issues plaguing Americans.
The South African actress and filmmaker now living in Hollywood recently released the spoken word video short, ‘White Out.’ The YouTube video plays out as a passionate plea to “fellow white people” not to give in to racism, something she remembers vividly having grown up in Cape Town and Durban during the apartheid era. Don’t let the minimalist production value fool you; the message is worth the watch.
“I love the art of filmmaking in all its forms and I'm intent on making films that enlighten, educate and have ability to bring additional perspectives,” Asta explains. “I’ve had this urgency to express myself on the subject of race for a very long time, but managed to convince myself that my voice was somehow not valid. I couldn’t shake the feeling or the desire any longer. I finally had to do it for my own peace of mind.”
Currently shooting, Asta continues dealing with racism as writer, director and star of the short film, ‘Perception.’ It’s explained as a story revolving around two women, one black and one white, who must confront a past event with the local police chief.
Asta has several other projects still to come this year. She’ll hit the festival circuit starring in the dramatic short, ‘Running On Empty,’ about a mother trying to cope with the unexpected death of her child. Asta produced and co-wrote the film along with director Elizabeth Blake-Thomas. Side not: the two previous co-produced the award-winning feature film ‘Sand Angels’ and ‘The League of Legend Keepers’; and Asta appeared in Blake-Thomas’s family driven drama, ‘Maybe I’m Fine.’
Asta will also head to festivals appearing in the female driven comedy, ‘Heirloom,’ directed by actor Paul Walter Hauser and starring Raleigh Cain and Caitlyn Carver.
Up next, Asta is prepping to direct and star in the dramatic feature she wrote titled, ‘Eat Your Heart Out.’ It’s described as a cautionary tale about a woman who repeatedly falls into destructive behavior in order to cope with her obsession of becoming a star.
More info: youtu.be
Asta Leigh (photo by Jena Willard Photography)
Asta Leigh in 'White Out'
