Birth of a Nation opens on October 7, 2016, and will be screening at the Toronto Film Festival during its run from September 8 – 18. Just last week, Parker learned that his accuser had committed suicide in 2012; her family has asked for privacy in this matter. Parker was acquitted of charges and while Celestin (who also shares a story credit on The Birth of a Nation) was initially found guilty, his conviction was later overturned. And many have already begun protesting seeing the film, including author Roxane Gay in an op-ed for The New York Times.
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For now, it looks like the AFI wants to hold off on screening the film or hosting Parker until a discussion can be had among the students and faculty.
“I have been the recipient of many different passionate points of view about the screening, and I believe it is essential that we discuss these issues together -messenger and message, gender, race and more-before we see the film”.
Parker revealed he was “devastated” by the news, as he reiterated his innocence, but his comments only stoked the controversy and now the backlash has prompted officials at the American Film Institute to pull a scheduled screening of Birth of a Nation on Friday (26Aug16). In lieu of the Birth screening, a screening of Paramount’s upcoming Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, which Zwick has directed, will take place.
Michelle Hooper of Fox Searchlight told Deadline that the company “rarely [does] press conferences at TIFF for films that are not a world premiere”, and added that Parker is still planning to conduct Q&As after screenings of the film at the festival.
Schuette’s approach is an interesting one, since discussions about sexual assault cases surrounding a piece of art are hard ones to have.
The Rev. Al Sharpton has pledged not to let Hollywood “discredit” and block actor Nate Parker’s plans to release his upcoming film The Birth of a Nation, which tells the story of an 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner. But can a film have its own life and own cultural significance outside of the filmmaker’s real-life controversy?
Fox made a statement two weeks ago: “Fox Searchlight is aware of the incident that occurred while Nate Parker was at Penn State”.
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The cancellation comes after the resurfacing of rape allegations levied against Parker in 1999 that have returned due to the buzz surrounding The Birth of a Nation.
