Soraya Machado Powell screened The Birth of a Nation, written and directed by Nate Parker. It is a far different version than D. W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (originally called The Clansman) from 1915.
Nate Parker and Tony Espinosa
The Birth of a Nation
Here is what she had to say: “Set against the antebellum South and based on a true story and part of our American History, it is about Nat Turner, an enslaved Baptist preacher who lived on a Virginia plantation owned by Samuel Turner. With rumors of insurrection in the air, a cleric convinces Samuel that Nate should sermonize to other slaves, thereby quelling any notions of an uprising. As Nate witnesses the horrific treatment of his fellow man, he realizes that he can no longer just stand by and preach. On August 21, 1831, Turner’s quest for justice and freedom leads to a violent and historic rebellion in Southampton County.
“I highly recommend this movie. It may not be appropriate for children under 14, as it is graphic and bloody.”
The film stars Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Aja Naomi King, Aunjanue Ellis, Gabrielle Union, Dwight Henry, Colman Domingo, Tony Espinosa, Roger Guenveur Smith, and Esther Scott.
