First Teaser for THE BIRTH OF A NATION

The Birth of a Nation was the biggest movie at Sundance this year. It was one of the most sought after tickets, it got the best reactions from audiences and critics, it won both the audience and Grand Jury prizes, and it was bought by Fox Searchlight for a massive $17.5 million. I saw it at the festival, and it lives up to the hype. Now you can get a peek at it yourself by watching this teaser trailer. I really like this teaser. I think it matches the tone of the film really well, which we know isn’t always the case with movies.

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 slave. As he witnesses countless atrocities — against himself and his fellow slaves — Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.

Nate Parker wrote, directed, produced, and stars in the film, which is a staggering feat when you consider the scale of the film contrasted with the tight budget and schedule. The cast also includes Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Mark Boone Jr., Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis, Dwight Henry, Esther Scott, Roger Geunveur Smith, and Gabrielle Union with Penelope Ann Miller and Jackie Earle Haley.

The Birth of a Nation opens in theaters on October 7th, and you can bet it will be getting a heavy awards season push. You can read (or re-read) Joey's review here.