- Wed Apr 24 – 7PM
Length of Film: 2 hr 15 min
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% Audience rating
All screenings include a pre-recorded introduction by filmmaker Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay writes & directs an inspired adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s life, as she digs into the nuance of discrimination while writing what would become her New York Times bestselling book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.
Already established as the first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for her journalism, Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) is confronted by the question of race once again when a colleague asks her to write about Trayvon Martin’s death. Her husband, Brett (Jon Bernthal), encourages her to tackle the case, but she’s more interested in the core of where racial injustice comes from. After a tragedy forces her to reorient her life, Isabel begins a research project which spans the globe, as she travels to Germany and India where she investigates the disenfranchisement of Jewish people during the Third Reich and the marginalization of Dalit “untouchables.” While initially struggling to explain her theory to family and colleagues, Isabel breaks down a codified framework of dehumanization for her book, making the argument that race and caste aren’t simply synonyms.
Origin stands as a unique chronicle of just how intimate a journalist’s journey toward sharing a new idea with the world can be. DuVernay creates powerful cinematic images out of the stories that Wilkerson brought to light in her non-fiction work, and the dark moments of her personal life which informed its writing. It results in a deeply moving portrait of the enduring trauma caused by discrimination, and the work required to heal afterwards.
Official Selection, 2023 Toronto International Film Festival
Adult Movie Ticket (age 14+) = $11.00
Child Movie Ticket (age 13 & under) = $6.00
Seniors (60+) = $10.00