Who is Sophia Nahli Allison? Filmmaker says she withdrew from 2019 Lizzo documentary after facing mistreatment
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Academy Award nominee documentarian and photographer Sophia Nahli Allison shared her experiences with Lizzo after three of the singer's backup dancers filed a lawsuit against her. The lawsuit filed by Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez at the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, August 1 alleges sexual harassment and a "hostile work environment."
After news of the lawsuit emerged, Allison used social media platforms like Reddit and Twitter to speak up about her alleged personal encounter with Lizzo. She posted on her Instagram story, "In 2019, I traveled a bit with Lizzo to be the director of her documentary. I walked away after about two weeks." Accompanying the post was an image with lengthy texts, detailing her decision to quit, citing mistreatment and disrespect by the artist.
Allison also accused Lizzo of being “arrogant, self-centered, and unkind” and said she “felt gaslit” and “deeply hurt” in her presence. She expressed her support for the plaintiffs and condemned the "abuse of power" that she believes is prevalent in such situations.
Sharing this because validating other Black women's experiences is deeply important to me. pic.twitter.com/gd2xEK6szq
— Sophia Nahli Allison (@SophiaNAllison) August 1, 2023
Who is Sophia Nahli Allison?
Allison, a 36-year-old experimental documentary filmmaker and photographer from Los Angeles, gained recognition for her unique ability to conjure ancestral memories while blending fiction and non-fiction narration. She holds a degree in photojournalism from Columbia College Chicago and a master's degree in visual communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
View this post on Instagram
Allison has been acknowledged for her exceptional work and has received film grants from institutions like Glassbreaker Films and the Sundance Institute's New Frontier Lab Programs. However, she shot to fame with her critically acclaimed 2019 short film, 'A Love Song For Latasha', which received an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary (Short Subject), an IDA nomination for Best Short, and won the Jury Award for Best Documentary Short at the AFI Fest. The film, along with her numerous other achievements, has solidified her position as a prominent figure in the world of documentary filmmaking.
Throughout her career, she has been recognized and awarded for her outstanding contributions, such as the 2017 Student Video Photographer of the Year award by The White House News Photographers Association and the 2014 Chicago 3Arts Award, which granted her $25,000 for her work as a teaching artist. Additionally, she co-facilitated the documentary 'Magic As Resistance' at the 2018 Allied Media Conference.
