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Lexi Alexander

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Lexi Alexander
File:Lexi-alexander.jpg
Born (1974-08-23) 23 August 1974 (age 49)
Mannheim, West Germany
Other namesLexi Mirai
Occupation(s)Director, writer, producer, actress
Years active2002–present
AgentMosaic
Websitehttp://www.lexi-alexander.com/

Lexi Alexander (born 23 August 1974) is a German-born film director and former world champion in point fighting and karate.

Early life and career

Alexander was raised by her mother in Mannheim, Germany.[1] Alexander is of Palestinian descent – her father was born and raised in Ramallah.[2]

As a teenager she was a sensei and some of her students were football hooligans. She would attend football matches with them but drifted away after she felt they overstepped their bounds.[1] In 1993, at the age of 19, Alexander became world champion in both point fighting and karate. She then retired from professional fighting and moved to the US, where she landed the part of Kitana in Mortal Kombat: Live Tour.[3][4]

Alexander continued to work as a stunt performer while studying acting and directing at the Piero Dusa Acting Conservatory and UCLA.[citation needed] The first short film she directed, Johnny Flynton, was nominated for an Academy Award in 2003.[5]

Directorial work

Having spent her childhood watching her family's favorite German soccer team Waldhof Mannheim, Alexander always had a fascination with the sport and its passionate fans. Inspired by these experiences, she co-wrote a screenplay with a former soccer hooligan turned writer, Dougie Brimson, about the firm of West Ham United. She directed the feature film of their screenplay, entitled Green Street. Released in 2005, the film was only the second in the history of the South by Southwest festival to win both the audience and the Jury awards, after Alex Holdridge's Sexless in 2003.[6] The film was also nominated for the William Shatner Golden Groundhog Award for Best Underground Movie.[7][relevant?]

Alexander then directed the 2008 film Punisher: War Zone with Ray Stevenson in the leading role. The film failed to deliver at the box office, but has since become a cult favourite.

Disappointed about her first studio experience, Alexander wrote and directed the spiritual film Lifted (2010), which The Power of Now author Eckhart Tolle praised as "A beautiful story—uplifting, inspiring and healing."[This quote needs a citation] Screen Media Films picked up distribution rights.

Alexander has directed an episode for Anthony Zuiker's BlackBoxTV YouTube channel entitled "Execution Style" and continues to focus on screenwriting her own projects.

In 2015 she directed episode 4 of Arrow[8] season 4, in 2016 directed episode 14 of Supergirl season 1[9] and the upcoming episode 19 of Limitless [10] season 1.

Advocacy

Alexander is outspoken on Hollywood sexism and has spoken at length about the directorial opportunities that were denied to her because of her gender. In a 2014 interview she stated that she, along with director Catherine Hardwicke, was denied a meeting to discuss possibly directing The Fighter as the producers were not interested in hiring a woman to direct.[11]

In June 2014, Alexander criticising the anti-piracy actions of Hollywood on her official website, as well as its general "lack of diversity" and gender and racial inequalities that she notes exist in Hollywood, referencing articles from both the UCLA and other news/opinion sites. Alexander, however, made it clear that she does not endorse piracy. She noted that key individuals in the piracy scene, such as Kim Dotcom are "not Robin Hoods", saying in the case of Dotcom: "He's got a big house, a lot of luxury cars and all kinds of other toys [...] This is unfortunate, because in a way it makes him just like the Hollywood elite". She also criticized The Pirate Bay's association with Carl Lundström - a Swedish businessman who financed the right-wing Swedish Progress Party, which later merged with the Sweden Democrats (The Pirate Bay accepted funding for their servers from Lundström).[12] Despite a clear criticism of both Hollywood and its anti-piracy agenda, and key figures in the pro-piracy scene, while clarifying that she does not endorse piracy, she stated "[t]here's a real opportunity for someone to come in and turn our industry into something better". She finalized her post with a daring picture of her holding up a sign reading, "Free Peter Sunde Now", in reference to his prison sentence as part of The Pirate Bay trial.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "The girl addicted to hoolies". The Guardian. 18 September 2005. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  2. ^ Lexi Alexander [@LexiAlex] (2 May 2015). "Yes it does! And I'm not just saying that because my dad was born and raised in Ramallah..." (Tweet). Retrieved 2 May 2015 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ "KeramCast.com podcast interview with Lexi Alexander". Retrieved 2012-11-15.
  4. ^ Black Belt Vol. 41, No. 6 (June 2003)
  5. ^ "OSCAR FILMS; Forecasts and Favorites: the Critics Weigh In". New York Times. 9 March 2003. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  6. ^ "SXSW Past Winners by Year". www.sxsw.com. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  7. ^ Tyler, Joshua (January 10, 2006). "Shatner Gets His Own Award". Cinema Blend. Retrieved 2009-09-10. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4854000/?ref_=ttep_ep4
  9. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5238500/?ref_=ttep_ep14
  10. ^ https://twitter.com/Lexialex/status/706170093332516864
  11. ^ "Discrimination in Hollywood? A chat with Lexi Alexander". Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  12. ^ Libbenga, Jan (May 7, 2007). "The Pirate Bay admits links with right-wing benefactor". The Register. Retrieved 2014-08-06. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  13. ^ Alexander, Lexi (June 1, 2014). "Will the Real Pirates Please Stand Up". Retrieved 2014-08-06. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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