ON THE SCENE: Ava DuVernay’s Film Origin lights up NYC Premiere

In the dimly lit elegance of Lincoln Center, on Thursday, November 30th. Ava DuVernay’s latest cinematic masterpiece Origin premiered featuring an ensemble cast including Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Emily Yancy, Finn Wittrock, Victoria Pedretti, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Isha Carlos Blaaker, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Connie Nielsen, Blair Underwood, Nick Offerman, Stephanie March, and Myles Frost, with an original song by Stan Walker. Origin is a cinematic adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s New York Times best-seller “Caste.” It delves into the mysteries of history, peeling away the superficial layers of racial discord to uncover universal core issues.

 Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor delivers a compelling portrayal of Pulitzer Prize-winner Isabel Wilkerson, leading us through an intimate odyssey of grief, revelation, and reflection.

Origin skillfully draws parallels between past atrocities and the harsh realities of contemporary politics, caste, and experiences both on a domestic and international scale. From the untouchables in India to the shackles of American slavery, the film fearlessly confronts the echoes of Jim Crow laws and the haunting specter of Nazi atrocities during the Holocaust.

The film’s strength and brilliance lie in its capacity to forge human connections. It explores the shared experiences of loss, love, friendship, and community, affirming that, beyond prejudices and artificial divisions, we are bound together by the common threads of our existence. DuVernay’s artistry shines not just in bringing a best-seller to life but also in sculpting the narrative to be accessible and relatable to all.

As the credits rolled, the audience, myself included, was left in tears and awe, resulting in a thunderous standing ovation that resonated through the theater.

Following the cinematic adventure was a captivating Q&A session, providing a glimpse into the minds behind this masterpiece. 

Panel Moderator: Of all the possibilities, what drew you to this particular story? 

Ava DuVernay: I read the book the first time, I read it, but I didn’t really get it, the second time I started to get deeper into it and by the third time I read it I felt I wanna talk to everyone about this and I wish everyone knew, the ideas we can dissect and play with and test it and try it out and see if there’s a new language, to talk about the things that ale us. So it really came from a desire to share that information similar to 13 found information wanted to share and really try to figure out the way to catalyze the ideas that excite me, and interest me and put them in form crafted in a way that other people would be willing to talk to me about it. The idea here was can I do it in a way that wasn’t a documentary that was the big puzzle. Could I find a way to make it a story that had human emotion so that you could see the ideas of collective memory and personal memory running side by side and go deeper into the story and that was the puzzle for me.  

Aunjanue Ellis Taylor: For me, I was aware of the book but I had not read it. I had read Warmth of Other Suns the other brilliant book led by Isabel Wilkerson and what I gleaned from what Ms. Wilkerson did, I just knew the ideas she was proffering was something that could transform how we speak about how we are in this country, and then finding out that Ava DuVernay how I feel is a freedom fighter who poses as a director I just wanted to be apart, I wanted to be a soldier in this and so I wanted to so badly be in it, that I wanted her to say yes and I’m glad that she did.

Jonathan Bernthal: For me, I flew down to Savannah and begged Ava to put me in the movie before I knew the script I just really wanted to work with her. There are parts of Isabel’s book that I read that aligned with something that I felt I’ve always felt or thought but it’s never been articulated and I could never put a finger on it and It made me think it made me feel it left me with so much hope so I desperately wanted to be apart of it as you see the journey that Isabel went on was singular it was a mission with no stone unturned and when I got to know Ava I see the why that she fights and I see the way that she’s on a mission, she’s doing this and that she’s unstoppable and she’s a force so man this woman is on a mission I’ve worked with Aunjanue before I think she’s one of a kind and I think she’s doing something that no one else does and I wanted to be in service of three unbelievable, powerful incredible women. 

Niecy Nash-Betts: What drew me to this movie was friendship and love. Ava called and I answered. And she said have you read this book and I said girl not yet and she said well I wrote this part with you in mind and I said oh yea She said but I know you can’t do it because you’re doing a full-time job so. I said here’s what I can do. I can help you think of somebody else who can do it so I began sending her names of people and everybody she rejected no, no, no. She said my problem is… I’ve only ever seen you in my mind but I know it’s not gonna work because of your schedule so then I said friend did you pray about it she said nah I said we got started there, and God answered our prayers and my full-time job allowed me to get off a little early at the end of the week so that I could fly to Savannah but I didn’t have any days off I would go then fly back and I will tell you this is the most beautiful piece of art I have ever been apart of. 

Paul Garnes: The conversations we had about it, she was able to add many of those conversations into the movie. Things that we all talked about the communication, the differences, the things that were alike, humanity, it was a true blessing to watch this process from the kernel of an idea of taking a book into a movie to now being here tonight.

Stan Walker:  It kinda just happened quickly. Long story short Ava sent the film to me and I watched it on my phone and I cried while waiting for my wife, and because I couldn’t wait for her and she got annoyed at me so we watched it again and I cried again! but it just moved me so much because I saw a little me in there, I saw my people in there, I saw similar stories that drew me in. I felt like I had something to say, and with the song that I was blessed to be able to do was a response to how I was feeling and how it made me feel. I feel like the song was birthed out of wanting to give hope and empower people to take back their identity and culture because we deserve that.  

As the Q & A Concluded it was realized that the film transcends its role as mere entertainment; but it becomes a mirror reflecting the complexities of our shared humanity, leaving a mark on all fortunate enough to witness its brilliance. Tickets are now available for one-week special engagements in LA (AMC Century City) and NY (AMC Lincoln Square) starting December 8th. In select theaters on January 19th, 2024.