ORIGIN

A bold work, Origin confirms director Ava DuVernay (Selma) as one of cinema’s great chroniclers of race relations. Adapted from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson’s book Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents, which itself had its origins in an article Wilkerson wrote about the murder of Trayvon Martin, it follows the journalist’s deep dive into the history and dynamics of oppression. Initially, Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) tells editor Amari (Blair Underwood) that her days as an investigative journalist are over. Once she gets her teeth into it, however, she starts to make revelatory connections between modern-day America, Nazi Germany and the Indian caste system. Duvernay brings these to life using flashbacks and historical dramatisations, creating a film that is uniquely provocative, challenging and enthralling. A must-see.