Asante has developed film projects in both the UK and US . Her second feature film , '' Belle '' ( 2013 ) , is a sub-genre of both feminism and racism . The film is based on Dido Elizabeth Belle , and depicts an illegitimate mixed-race daughter of an enslaved African woman and a British navy captain . They placed the girl with his uncle ( and Belle 's great-uncle ) Lord Mansfield and his wife in late 18th-century London . In this film , Dido was being raised by a white aristocratic family and acquired many intellectual skills . Dido uses her personal experiences to debate the social and structural issues of her time , like the patriarchy and lack of representation for visible minorities . Dido ’s role in the film has been said to be “ a way that is usually denied to historical black women ” . The film touches on the Zong marine case , where the Captain falsely claims damages from his insurer for the loss of his 133 enslaved Africans . The Captain was not able to get compensated , so his case was escalated to the higher court , where Lord Chief Justice Mansfield , ( Dido ’s great-uncle and guardian ) , was in charge of . The film stars Academy Award nominees Tom Wilkinson as Lord Mansfield , who as a justice , ruled on two important cases related to slavery ; Emily Watson as his wife and Miranda Richardson , alongside rising stars Sarah Gadon , Tom Felton , and Sam Reid , with Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the eponymous Dido Elizabeth Belle . '' Belle '' was the third project to receive investment from Pinewood Studios as part of its Pinewood Films initiative , established to help fund and support British independent films . The film was shot on location in the Isle of Man , London and Oxford . It was distributed through Fox Searchlight Pictures . On 19 September 2013 , the '' Daily Mail '' reported that Asante was denied writing credit on the film , due to arbitration about contested credit by the Writers Guild of America . A special screening of the film was held at the United Nations headquarters in New York on 2 April 2014 , as part of the UN commemorative events on slavery and the transatlantic slave trade . Asante and star Gugu Mbatha-Raw attended the screening at the United Nations headquarters . The same week , Asante was honoured by BAFTA in both Los Angeles and New York as a " Brit to Watch " , where special screenings of '' Belle '' held to celebrate her work . At the 2014 Miami International Film Festival , Asante was awarded The Signis Award as director of '' Belle ''
Zong
Zong massacre
Amma Asante