Radha Blank

Radha Blank (born September 1, 1976) is an American filmmaker, writer, and actress.[1] Born and raised in New York City, Blank is known for writing, directing, producing, and starring in The 40-Year-Old Version (2020),[2] for which she won the U.S. Dramatic Competition Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival.[3]

Radha Blank
Born (1976-09-01) September 1, 1976
New York City, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationFilmmaker, writer, actress
Notable work
The 40-Year-Old Version

Career

Early work

Blank began her career as a playwright, writing several plays that never made it to the stage; in an interview with The Guardian, Blank claimed to have "about 12 plays that haven’t seen the light of day."[4] These scripts, however, served to help her secure writing jobs in television.[4] One of Radha's plays, titled Seed,[5] did make it to Off Broadway and received critical acclaim.[6] Seed was a 2010 recipient of the National Endowment of the Arts New Play Development Award.[7] The Huffington Post called Seed "fresh, lively...and poetic."[8]

During this time, Blank also performed as a comedian and rapper under the name RadhaMUSprime,[9] and she found work in the writer's rooms of the television series Empire and Spike Lee's series She's Gotta Have It.[10]

Breakthrough with The 40-Year-Old Version
Main article: The 40-Year-Old Version

Blank achieved widespread acclaim for writing, directing, producing, and starring in The 40-Year-Old Version (2020).[2][11] For her work on the film, Blank won the U.S. Dramatic Competition Directing Award at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.[3] Following its premiere at Sundance, the film was acquired by Netflix for distribution.[12] The film is loosely based on Blank's experiences as a struggling playwright in New York.[13] Blank shot the film on 35-millimeter black-and-white film stock. The film's autobiographical nature is highlighted by the filming in Blank's own apartment and the inclusion of her real-life brother, Ravi, in the film.[14] The film was released on Netflix on October 9, 2020,[15] and received positive reviews from film critics.[16]

Later that year, Blank received the 2020 Vanguard Award from the Sundance Institute, which "honors the artistic achievement of her feature film directorial debut."[17] Blank also received nominations from the Gotham Independent Film Awards, for the Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award and for Best Screenplay, for her work on The 40-Year-Old Version.[18] Variety named her one of "10 Directors to Watch in 2020".[19]

Personal life

Her father Roger Blank is a jazz drummer.[20] Her mother, Carol Blank, who passed away in 2013, was an artist, teacher, and curator,[21] and is referenced in The 40-Year-Old Version.[22][23] Blank's brother Ravi is featured in The 40-Year-Old Version as himself.[24]

References
  1. McNary, Dave (2020-02-01). "Netflix in Talks to Buy Radha Blank's 'The 40-Year-Old Version'". Variety. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  2. Lattanzio, Ryan (2020-01-25). "Radha Blank: Joke About Writing Harriet Tubman Musical in '40-Year-Old Version' Is All Too Real". IndieWire. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  3. "The biggest breakout stars of Sundance 2020". Los Angeles Times. 2020-01-31. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  4. "Radha Blank: 'Failure is a great tool in comedy'". The Guardian. 2020-10-04. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  5. Seed By Radha Blank, retrieved 2020-11-30
  6. Gates, Anita (2011-09-29). "Kindness, Again by Strangers (Published 2011)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  7. Gioia, Michael. "Radha Blank's Seed Opens Off-Broadway at Harlem's National Black Theater Sept. 16". Playbill. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  8. Weinreich, Regina (2011-09-18). "Radha Blank's SEED Premieres in Harlem". HuffPost. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  9. "Hollywood Writer Radha Blank: From A Bronx Kid To Empire And Beyond". February 27, 2016.
  10. "Radha Blank of 'The Forty-Year-Old Version' isn't late - CityNews Toronto". toronto.citynews.ca. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  11. Ramos, Dino-Ray (2020-01-28). "Radha Blank's 'The 40-Year-Old Version' "Confronts Frustrations" About Gatekeepers Of Storytelling – Sundance Studio". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  12. Lindahl, Chris (2020-02-04). "Netflix Doesn't Buy Movies at Sundance — It Buys Voices That Can Become Brands". IndieWire. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  13. Spencer, Ashley (2020-02-12). "How Hollywood Relentlessly Fails Women Directors". Vice. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  14. Soloski, Alexis (2020-10-08). "A Writer-Director-Star Breaks Through. It Only Took a Lifetime". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  15. Sharf, Zack (August 26, 2020). "'The Forty-Year-Old Version' Trailer: Radha Blank's Sundance Winner Is a Must-See on Netflix". IndieWire. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  16. The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020) on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2020-12-01
  17. McNary, Dave (2020-11-19). "'Forty-Year-Old Version' Filmmaker Radha Blank to Be Honored by Sundance Institute". Variety. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  18. Sharf, Zack (2020-11-12). "Gotham Award Nominations 2020: 'First Cow,' 'Nomadland,' and All Best Picture Noms by Women". IndieWire. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  19. "10 Directors to Watch in 2020". Variety. 2020-01-03. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  20. "'The Forty-Year-Old Version' Creator Radha Blank on Seeing Herself and Missing Her Mother". Essence. 9 October 2020.
  21. "CAROL BLANK Obituary (2013) - New York Times". www.legacy.com. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  22. "'The Forty-Year-Old Version' Creator Radha Blank on Seeing Herself and Missing Her Mother". Essence. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  23. Kennedy, Quil Lemons (2020-10-12). "Radha Blank's Lockdown Breakout Film Doubles as Her Own Origin Tale". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  24. Cohen, Anne. "Radha Blank's The Forty-Year-Old-Version Isn't Autobiographical — Or Is It?". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
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