At long last, after nearing a decade in the making with various writers, directors and plots, Selma is completed and now set for a December 25th release. Starring David Oyelowo as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this dramatic and already award-nominated film follows the 1965 protests in Selma, Alabama for equal voting rights.
The powerful and timely film comes from Ava DuVernay, a former publicist turned director now undertaking her biggest project yet. With an impressive ensemble cast, including Oprah Winfrey, Tim Roth, Giovanni Ribisi, Tom Wilkinson, Wendell Pierce, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Martin Sheen, Selma is a jaw-dropping, potent account of a period in American history much in need of remembrance. WGTC critic Isaac Feldberg awarded the film five stars (the highest possible), calling Selma the year’s best and most important movie, and concluding:
Gorgeously shot, beautifully written and brought to vivid life by an assortment of wonderful performances, Selma is stunningly powerful, emotive and indispensable filmmaking.
Last week in Toronto, we had the chance to sit down with Oyelowo and DuVernay while they were in town to promote the film. Touching upon how these two came to champion Selma and the struggles they had to overcome, the duo related the plight in the 1960s to what is happening today in the world and what it’s like to be a minority in Hollywood in the 21st century.
Check out our interview in the video above and be sure to catch Selma when it marches into theatres on December 25th.