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Alan Moore's appeal for democracy
Before the film was overshadowed by the revelation that Nate Parker was acquitted under dubious circumstances of sexual assault, The Birth of a Nation was lauded as an achievement in filmmaking. It received a standing ovation when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Fox Searchlight acquired it for a record $17.5 million. Parker was praised for his visionary and brave retelling of the life of Nat Turner.
A quarter century ago, teaching a Native American History class at Duke, I noted that enrollment spiked after the release of Kevin Costner's blockbuster film about the post-Civil War West, Dances with Wolves. Sometime soon, Fox Searchlight Pictures is rolling out a movie about Nat Turner's 1831 Slave Revolt with the provocative title, Birth of a Nation. Though retired from the classroom, I find myself wondering whether another much-needed teaching moment is on the way.
After premiering to prolonged standing ovations and plenty of critical acclaim, the slave revolt drama, Birth of a Nation, set off the fiercest bidding war Sundance has ever seen. Fox Searchlight has come out on top, landing the drama in a record-breaking $17.5 million deal, the biggest purchase in Sundance history.
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