Nate Parker’s ‘The Birth of a Nation’ a powerful achievement

Congratulations are certainly in order for the cast and crew of Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation, a slave rebellion drama that centers on the story of Nat Turner.

With the film’s writer, director, producer, and star, Nate Parker, already receiving significant Oscar buzz less than 24 hours after the film’s initial showing, it should be no surprise that the premiere of the film was followed by an extensive bidding war, in which companies like Paramount, Netflix, Fox Searchlight, and The Weinstein Company fought to buy the rights to the movie.

The film shares its title with D.W. Griffith’s controversial 1915 film about the Ku Klux Klan, a move that Parker said was done on objective.

Starring Parker, Gabrielle Union, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Penelope Ann Miller and Armie Hammer, the film travels through the 1800s, a time that resulted in the deaths of dozens of white slave owners under the rebellious leadership of Nat Turner. People can watch this film and be affected.

“It’s cultivation. I think diversity is more than a color palette”, he said.

He said he wanted to create “a healing mechanism for America”. “It showcases our humanity and what happens when you try to strip that and that there are consequences”. Another sentiment they said they shared was the idea that African Americans need to reclaim their narrative. The deal is noted to be the largest purchase in Sundance history.

Myself, Matt Goldberg and Collider Editor-in-Chief Steve Weintraub are all poised to see Birth of a Nation this afternoon (yes we’re still in Park City and very, very cold), so look for Matt’s review and our reactions later today. It’s clear where Turner picked up a deadly weapon to fight back in 1831, Parker and many others choose social tools as their weapon of choice. The bible says a good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.