MoviesOnline had the pleasure of sitting down with Alicia Keys at the Toronto International Film Festival to talk about her new movie, “The Secret Life of Bees,” written for the screen and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood based upon the award-winning novel by Sue Monk Kidd. The film also stars Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, and Sophie Okonedo, a powerhouse ensemble of women from the world of music and film.“The Secret Life of Bees” is the touching story about the need for love, sisterhood and redemption that explores the undeniable desire for a sense of belonging and the often daunting journeys that we must navigate to achieve it. Set in South Carolina, the home of the intelligent and independent honeymaking Boatwright sisters (Latifah, Keys and Okonedo) is suddenly thrust into upheaval with the arrival of fourteen-year-old Lily Owens (Fanning) and her caretaker Rosaleen (Hudson). Surrounded by the unexpected comforts, grace and deep rooted spirituality Lily encounters in the Boatwright home, she soon forms a maternal bond with each of these women whose unique and special gifts help reconcile the loss of her mother. Through the strength and female empowerment that embodies the Boatwright sisters, Lily ultimately comes to the realization that sometimes you must leave home in order to find it.

ALICIA KEYS: Good afternoon!

MoviesOnline: How did you get the part? What scene did you audition to show you could pull it off? Click here to read more.