You’ve probably heard the name Nat Turner mentioned briefly in history class, but for an all-the-way-real look into this slave who was so #boss he led a rebellion at just 31 years old in hopes of freeing himself and his people, you’ll need to watch the new movie, The Birth of a Nation when it hits theaters on October 7.
Reclaiming a title originally belonging to one of the most racist films ever made, Nate Parker (The Great Debaters, The Secret Life of Bees, Beyond the Lights) has created a new movie to honor Nat Turner and so many other slaves who rose up to fight for their freedom.
In the trailer — which just dropped today and literally left us speechless and wowed for a good 15 minutes — the song “Strange Fruit,” initially made famous by Billie Holiday, is heard in the background as scenes of plantation life play out among brief snapshots of Nat’s evolution toward rebellion. According to The Birth of a Nation‘s official synopsis, “Set against the antebellum South, The Birth of a Nation follows Nat Turner (Nate Parker), a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities — against himself and his fellow slaves — Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.”
Gabrielle Union (Being Mary Jane), Aja Naomi King (How to Get Away with Murder), and Aunjanue Ellis (The Book of Negroes, Quantico) also star.
Watch the trailer below:
Do you plan to see the movie when it comes out this fall? Tell us in the comments below!