Opening nation-wide on April 27th, ‘KING’ stars Oscar winner Halle Berry and Daniel Craig.
For context, Rodney King was an African-American taxi driver, whose ill-famed recorded beating by the Los Angeles Police Department in 1991 sparked civil unrest – starting the Los Angeles riots soon after. It was highlighted that King’s beating was a prime example of the abuse of police experienced by the African-American community in Los Angeles at the time.
According to distributor The Orchard: “As the civil unrest in Los Angeles grows following the acquittal of four of the officers accused of beating Rodney King, Millie and Obie must navigate the chaos that surrounds them in order to ensure her children’s safety. KING focuses on the fragility of family relationships and touches on turmoil and tensions of the past, which sadly prove to be more relevant than ever in today’s social and political climate.”
The riots lasted for 5 days, causing the deaths of over 63 people, and injuring thousands. Cast include: Lamar Johnson, Kaalan “KR” Walker, and Rachel Hilson. The film is directed and produced by Deniz Gamze Ergüven and Charles Gillibert respectively.