We're All Africans, Really- Meryl Streep Speaks Out About Diversity

As the newly named jury president at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, Meryl Streep made clear her stance on diversity within the film industry. The esteemed actress found herself addressing the issue on Thursday while speaking with reporters in Germany about the 2016 jury panel, which consists of all-white members.

According to the Associated Press, when Streep was asked whether she understood films originating from the Arab community and North Africa, she admitted she wasn't too familiar with the region, but that said “I played a lot of different people from a lot of different cultures. There's a core of humanity that travels right through every culture, and after all we're all from Africa originally. Berliners, we're all Africans, really”.

The seven-member jury is in charge of choosing the winners of the Golden Bear and a few Silver Bear awards at the first of the year's major European film festivals. Speaking about the panel, Streep also singled out the inclusion of women. Of the seven members, four are women and she had this to say about that “This jury is evidence that at least women are included and in fact dominate this jury, and that's an unusual situation in bodies of people who make decisions. The globe should be represented half and half. I do think inclusion is the name of the game”.