Watch Lupita Nyong'o's First Film, 2008's 'East River'

Watch Lupita Nyong'o's First Movie
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 18: Actress Lupita Nyong'o poses in the press room at the 20th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 18, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 18: Actress Lupita Nyong'o poses in the press room at the 20th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 18, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

Much has been made of the fact that Lupita Nyong'o's first feature-film performance, as Patsey in "12 Years a Slave," has made her a frontrunner for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. While it may be the actress' first bout in theaters nationwide, it's not the first time she's ever appeared on camera. Behold "East River," the 17-minute short film from 2008 in which Nyong'o co-stars. It's the only movie credit to Nyongo's name prior to "12 Years."

Set, fittingly, around New York City, "East River" lacks dialogue but is rife with sunshine-drenched shots of Brooklyn bike-riding and gray-skied self-reflection. The story is of a wanderer (Tommaso Spinelli) who falls for Nyong'o; director Marc Grey says it's "about the relationship between physical and emotional space." Watch below.

[via IndieWire]

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