“Birth of a Nation” chronicles the slave rebellion led by a slave and preacher named Nat Turner in August 1831. Nat Turner is a slave on a plantation in Southampton County, Virginia owned by his enslaver Samuel Turner. When Nat witnesses the dreadful behavior of white masters among black slaves he decides to take action. Turner’s search for freedom and equality leads to a violent rebellion that ultimately results in the death of many white people.
“Birth of a Nation” has already received two awards at the Sundance film Festival and Fox Searchlight has bought the distribution rights for a record-breaking $17.5 million. Although the movie has received positive and compelling attention among the film industry, many are protesting the arrival of this film due to 1999 rape allegations made against the directors Nate Parker and Jean Celestin. Parker and Celestin were accused of raping an unconscious female student in their apartment at Penn State University in 1999. Both Parker and Celestin, student athletes at the time, swore their innocence; claiming that they did have sex with her but she was awake and it was consensual. Parker was acquitted of the charges, and later transferred schools to the University of Oklahoma. Celestin was originally found guilty, but he sought out an appeal on the grounds of inadequate counsel 4 years later and the conviction was later overturned. The accuser, who has never been identified, ended up suing Penn State for their lack of protection against the harassment she endured while on campus which ended in a settlement of $17,500.
Just recently it has been revealed by a relative that the woman who accused both men of rape, had fell into depression and committed suicide in 2012 at the age of 30. Nate Parker responded to the news of her death on a Facebook post stating “ I am filled with profound sorrow”. Others question why was this rape case suddenly brought back to light 17 years later? Nate Parker has starred in many other historically black movies such as “Red Tails”, and “The Great Debaters” and although he has been addressed about it during a past interview when promoting “The Great Debaters,” it hasn’t caused as much of an uproar as it has now. Many are pointing out its because Parker is directing this movie about a slave who led a rebellion nonetheless. Another reason Hollywood has attempted to reframe a 17-year-old rape case was to attempt to harm the movie’s chances of winning an Oscar award. Just recently the American Film Institute has canceled a screening and Q & A of “Birth of a Nation”, because of the negative attention surrounding Nate Parker however Fox Searchlight has decided to stand by Parker and the movie. Searchlight has also stated that they plan to move forward with the promotional tour of the movie.
“Birth of a Nation” comes to theaters on October 7.
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Birth of a Nation
September 13, 2016
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