Ava Marie DuVernay (born August 24, 1972) is an American director, screenwriter, producer, and former rapper. In the 1990s, DuVernay was active in the Los Angeles underground hip hop scene, performing under the names AvA and Eve, and as one half of the duo Figures of Speech with fellow female MC Ronda Ross (aka Jyant). DuVernay's debut film, music documentary "This Is the Life" (2008), chronicled the rise and enduring influence of the scene of which she had been a part, focusing on its epicenter at the famous open mic nights in the Good Life C…