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| #OscarsSoWhite isn’t the only problem diversity faces in Hollywood | #OscarsSoWhite isn’t the only problem diversity faces in Hollywood |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| PARK CITY, UTAH — As “The Birth of a Nation” ended its premiere screening at the Sundance Film Festival on Monday, the sold-out crowd leaped up for a standing ovation. They remained on their feet, in the dark, in awed silence for minutes until the credits finished rolling. | PARK CITY, UTAH — As “The Birth of a Nation” ended its premiere screening at the Sundance Film Festival on Monday, the sold-out crowd leaped up for a standing ovation. They remained on their feet, in the dark, in awed silence for minutes until the credits finished rolling. |
| Later that night, Fox Searchlight won a bidding war and scooped up distribution rights for $17.5 million — a record for the biggest Sundance sale of all time. | Later that night, Fox Searchlight won a bidding war and scooped up distribution rights for $17.5 million — a record for the biggest Sundance sale of all time. |
| It was an auspicious launch for Nate Parker, the director, producer and co-writer who stars as Nat Turner in the movie about the slave and preacher who led a deadly rebellion in southern Virginia in 1831. The timing couldn’t be better, as the Oscars, and Hollywood as a whole, have been taken to task for its diversity problem in recent years. | It was an auspicious launch for Nate Parker, the director, producer and co-writer who stars as Nat Turner in the movie about the slave and preacher who led a deadly rebellion in southern Virginia in 1831. The timing couldn’t be better, as the Oscars, and Hollywood as a whole, have been taken to task for its diversity problem in recent years. |
| Parker has been acting for more than a decade, starring in “Beyond the Lights,” “Red Tails” and “Arbitrage.” But a couple years ago, he vowed to take a break until he could make his passion project. | Parker has been acting for more than a decade, starring in “Beyond the Lights,” “Red Tails” and “Arbitrage.” But a couple years ago, he vowed to take a break until he could make his passion project. |
| That was easier said than done, especially when it came to securing the necessary funds. | That was easier said than done, especially when it came to securing the necessary funds. |
| “There’s a resistance to dealing with this material,” Parker explained during a Q-and-A session following the premiere. He heard all the excuses: People don’t want to see another slave movie; audiences overseas won’t watch movies starring actors of color; financiers couldn’t possibly get a return on their investment. | “There’s a resistance to dealing with this material,” Parker explained during a Q-and-A session following the premiere. He heard all the excuses: People don’t want to see another slave movie; audiences overseas won’t watch movies starring actors of color; financiers couldn’t possibly get a return on their investment. |
| “It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,” he said. But he wasn’t deterred. He was set on creating “a healing mechanism for America,” so he scraped together a $10 million budget and made it happen. | “It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,” he said. But he wasn’t deterred. He was set on creating “a healing mechanism for America,” so he scraped together a $10 million budget and made it happen. |
| All the while, he kept coming back to advice that George Lucas gave him when they worked together on “Red Tails.” “When everyone’s telling you something can’t be done,” the director told Parker, “that’s how you know you’re on the right track.” | All the while, he kept coming back to advice that George Lucas gave him when they worked together on “Red Tails.” “When everyone’s telling you something can’t be done,” the director told Parker, “that’s how you know you’re on the right track.” |
| The provocative drama opens on Turner as a bright young boy (Tony Espinosa) — he was the rare slave who learned to read and write. Later on, he falls in love with and marries another slave, Cherry (Aja Naomi King), and travels around Southampton County with his master, Samuel (Armie Hammer), to preach the gospel to fellow laborers. Turner is expected to read passages from the Bible that will persuade slaves to be obedient to the white men in charge. | The provocative drama opens on Turner as a bright young boy (Tony Espinosa) — he was the rare slave who learned to read and write. Later on, he falls in love with and marries another slave, Cherry (Aja Naomi King), and travels around Southampton County with his master, Samuel (Armie Hammer), to preach the gospel to fellow laborers. Turner is expected to read passages from the Bible that will persuade slaves to be obedient to the white men in charge. |
| But, as the movie unfolds, Turner witnesses the sadistic ways that some men treat their slaves, and following a couple of traumatizing incidents, the man can bear it no longer. He orchestrates an uprising that leaves dozens of slave owners dead. | But, as the movie unfolds, Turner witnesses the sadistic ways that some men treat their slaves, and following a couple of traumatizing incidents, the man can bear it no longer. He orchestrates an uprising that leaves dozens of slave owners dead. |
| It was the bloodiest slave uprising in American history, but the backlash that followed the rebellion was even deadlier. Up to 200 slaves were killed, many of whom had nothing to do with the revolt. | It was the bloodiest slave uprising in American history, but the backlash that followed the rebellion was even deadlier. Up to 200 slaves were killed, many of whom had nothing to do with the revolt. |
| “The Birth of a Nation,” which is gorgeously shot and expertly acted, feels revolutionary. | “The Birth of a Nation,” which is gorgeously shot and expertly acted, feels revolutionary. |
| We've reported it to the team. | |
| Try again? | |
| For starters, the movie cleverly co-opts the title of D.W. Griffith’s pioneering film that glorified the Ku Klux Klan and painted black men as predators. It also doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the time — not just the way slave owners whipped, abused and raped their servants, which we’ve seen before on screen, but also the way the slaves massacred their captors during the rebellion. One slave, who had been tortured by his master, hacks the man to death then holds up his severed head. Audience members whooped in approval, but the revenge fantasy is inevitably fleeting. The pay-off isn’t the stuff of “Death Wish” or “Django Unchained,” because the movie makes clear the carnage is part of a cycle that was born of violence and only leads to more. | For starters, the movie cleverly co-opts the title of D.W. Griffith’s pioneering film that glorified the Ku Klux Klan and painted black men as predators. It also doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the time — not just the way slave owners whipped, abused and raped their servants, which we’ve seen before on screen, but also the way the slaves massacred their captors during the rebellion. One slave, who had been tortured by his master, hacks the man to death then holds up his severed head. Audience members whooped in approval, but the revenge fantasy is inevitably fleeting. The pay-off isn’t the stuff of “Death Wish” or “Django Unchained,” because the movie makes clear the carnage is part of a cycle that was born of violence and only leads to more. |
| There’s also a conspicuous absence of stereotypes. There’s no “white savior,” nor is there one cartoonishly sadistic villain. For example, Samuel, although he’s a slave owner, seems at first somewhat benign. He and Nat play together as children, and later Samuel protects Nat from white bullies. | There’s also a conspicuous absence of stereotypes. There’s no “white savior,” nor is there one cartoonishly sadistic villain. For example, Samuel, although he’s a slave owner, seems at first somewhat benign. He and Nat play together as children, and later Samuel protects Nat from white bullies. |
| Not that it was an easy or enjoyable role. | Not that it was an easy or enjoyable role. |
| “It sucked,” Hammer admitted during the post-movie discussion. Sometimes Parker would have to stop the cameras to remind Hammer and the cast why they were there. This was “a man corrupted by the system,” Hammer said. “There wasn’t anyone who went to bed at night with a clean conscience.” | “It sucked,” Hammer admitted during the post-movie discussion. Sometimes Parker would have to stop the cameras to remind Hammer and the cast why they were there. This was “a man corrupted by the system,” Hammer said. “There wasn’t anyone who went to bed at night with a clean conscience.” |
| Parker explained that he wasn’t interested in painting the oppressors as sociopaths, because that might give viewers an excuse to see them as monsters and think, well, that’s not me. The director was more inclined to look at Turner’s story as an example of how such an obviously oppressive system becomes the norm. | Parker explained that he wasn’t interested in painting the oppressors as sociopaths, because that might give viewers an excuse to see them as monsters and think, well, that’s not me. The director was more inclined to look at Turner’s story as an example of how such an obviously oppressive system becomes the norm. |
| “There were so many people that were complicit,” Parker said. “And not just hillbillies.” Academics and scientists, too, condoned the practice of slavery, he explained. | “There were so many people that were complicit,” Parker said. “And not just hillbillies.” Academics and scientists, too, condoned the practice of slavery, he explained. |
| Parker wanted to give viewers an unsanitized view of what happened, because “without honest confrontation, there is no healing.” He also hopes movie-goers will think about the way we live now — what systems do we have in place that might be corrupt? And do we, as American citizens, passively accept the injustices, or do we work to do something about them? | Parker wanted to give viewers an unsanitized view of what happened, because “without honest confrontation, there is no healing.” He also hopes movie-goers will think about the way we live now — what systems do we have in place that might be corrupt? And do we, as American citizens, passively accept the injustices, or do we work to do something about them? |
| “Because these people, in their benevolence, thought they were doing good,” Parker said of masters like Samuel. | “Because these people, in their benevolence, thought they were doing good,” Parker said of masters like Samuel. |
| Following the movie’s rapturous reception, talk turned immediately to Parker’s awards chances in light of the controversy over #OscarsSoWhite. For the second year in a row, the Academy singled out only white performers for nominations, while a lot of the other categories were equally monochromatic. The Academy is changing its voting policies as a result, but the controversy is also a testament to how hard it is to fund movies that star performers of color. | Following the movie’s rapturous reception, talk turned immediately to Parker’s awards chances in light of the controversy over #OscarsSoWhite. For the second year in a row, the Academy singled out only white performers for nominations, while a lot of the other categories were equally monochromatic. The Academy is changing its voting policies as a result, but the controversy is also a testament to how hard it is to fund movies that star performers of color. |
| Don Cheadle also brought a passion project to the festival: “Miles Ahead,” a warts-and-all account of musician Miles Davis that unfolds at times like a kinetic action movie. Cheadle makes his directorial debut while starring as Davis and co-writing the screenplay with Steven Baigelman (“Get on Up”). | Don Cheadle also brought a passion project to the festival: “Miles Ahead,” a warts-and-all account of musician Miles Davis that unfolds at times like a kinetic action movie. Cheadle makes his directorial debut while starring as Davis and co-writing the screenplay with Steven Baigelman (“Get on Up”). |
| After the movie’s sold-out premiere, Cheadle spoke to the crowd about the obstacles he faced during the film’s decade-long process. His budget kept shrinking until it was just $7 million, some of which came from crowdfunding. | After the movie’s sold-out premiere, Cheadle spoke to the crowd about the obstacles he faced during the film’s decade-long process. His budget kept shrinking until it was just $7 million, some of which came from crowdfunding. |
| A talented Oscar nominee struggling to finance the story of one of the world’s most prolific musicians is a sad reality. Sadder still, Cheadle told USA Today, “Until there was the white co-lead in the movie, there was nothing that was going to happen.” Enter Ewan McGregor, who plays a fictional Rolling Stone reporter as a kind of foil to Davis, giving the movie an occasionally comedic odd-couple feel. | A talented Oscar nominee struggling to finance the story of one of the world’s most prolific musicians is a sad reality. Sadder still, Cheadle told USA Today, “Until there was the white co-lead in the movie, there was nothing that was going to happen.” Enter Ewan McGregor, who plays a fictional Rolling Stone reporter as a kind of foil to Davis, giving the movie an occasionally comedic odd-couple feel. |
| Cheadle is brilliant in the role and even learned to play the trumpet for it. So, between him and Parker, the Academy shouldn’t be lacking for diverse awards contenders. Sony Pictures Classics picked up the drama and plans an April premiere. | Cheadle is brilliant in the role and even learned to play the trumpet for it. So, between him and Parker, the Academy shouldn’t be lacking for diverse awards contenders. Sony Pictures Classics picked up the drama and plans an April premiere. |
| A number of other movies with actors and directors of color debuted at Sundance. “Southside With You” tells the story of Barack Obama’s first date with Michelle Robinson, his future wife; the comedy “Morris From America” follows a black teenager living in Germany; D.C. native Tahir Jetter unveiled his comedic feature debut, “How to Tell You’re a Douchebag”; and “Mr. Pig,” directed by Mexican producer-director-writer Diego Luna, stars Danny Glover as a farmer taking a road trip with a porcine companion. | A number of other movies with actors and directors of color debuted at Sundance. “Southside With You” tells the story of Barack Obama’s first date with Michelle Robinson, his future wife; the comedy “Morris From America” follows a black teenager living in Germany; D.C. native Tahir Jetter unveiled his comedic feature debut, “How to Tell You’re a Douchebag”; and “Mr. Pig,” directed by Mexican producer-director-writer Diego Luna, stars Danny Glover as a farmer taking a road trip with a porcine companion. |
| Still lacking: Stories featuring female leads of color. One exception at Sundance was “The Fits,” which is garnering major praise for its 10-year-old lead, Royalty Hightower. She plays a girl who quits boxing to join a dance team. | Still lacking: Stories featuring female leads of color. One exception at Sundance was “The Fits,” which is garnering major praise for its 10-year-old lead, Royalty Hightower. She plays a girl who quits boxing to join a dance team. |
| So even at Sundance, there’s room for improvement. Not that Sundance is the problem in an industry that spends much of its effort on superhero movies. | So even at Sundance, there’s room for improvement. Not that Sundance is the problem in an industry that spends much of its effort on superhero movies. |
| “People really have to have access to tell the stories they want to tell,” Cheadle said. “So what we really need is people in positions to green-light those stories, not a hunk of metal.” | “People really have to have access to tell the stories they want to tell,” Cheadle said. “So what we really need is people in positions to green-light those stories, not a hunk of metal.” |