The Birth of a Nation is an American historical drama film written, produced, and directed by Nate Parker, released in 2016.
The director-screenwriter, portraying the African American slave Nat Turner who led a slave revolt in 1831, won the Grand Jury Prize in the “U.S. Dramatic Competition” category at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.
Considered likely to win all upcoming American film awards and serve as a symbol in Hollywood for the place of African Americans in the film industry, The Birth of a Nation, which tells the story of American slave revolts in the early 19th century, is promised a future as great as 12 Years a Slave, another historical drama about slavery and winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2014.
Thirty years before the Civil War, Nat Turner is an educated slave and a highly listened-to preacher.
His owner, Samuel Turner, who is experiencing financial difficulties, accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching talents to subdue unruly slaves.
After witnessing the atrocities committed against his oppressed companions and suffering with his wife, Nat devises a plan that can lead his people to freedom…
With its powerful message and evident cinematographic quality, “The Birth of a Nation” is the triumph of an anti-racist manifesto.
The film has become a symbol of resistance against racial oppression, whether it takes place in 1830 or 2016.
