A conversation with Ava DuVernay: Resistance, storytelling, and film
April 24 @ 7:00 pm
On April 24, the IARA Project hosted a conversation between Oscar-nominated filmmaker and screenwriter Ava DuVernay and Professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad.
DuVernay’s latest film ‘Origin’ is a powerful adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s book ‘Caste’, taking a broad look at underlying systems of social hierarchies. It draws connections between race in the United States, the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany, and the system of caste in India. By translating these true stories to screen, ‘Origin’ fosters a crucial dialogue on the American understanding of race.
At this event hosted by the Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project (IARA) and the Institute of Politics, we explored the relationship between film and advancing racial equity, asking: how is film an effective platform for shaping an informed and critical public narrative about race in the U.S.? And for the filmmakers attempting to do this, what barriers are standing in the way?
SPEAKERS
Academy Award nominee and winner of the Emmy, BAFTA, Image, Sundance and Peabody Awards, Ava DuVernay’s directorial work includes the historical drama Selma, the criminal justice documentary 13th, the acclaimed four-part limited series When They See Us, Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time, her landmark seven season television series Queen Sugar and her latest film, Origin, among others.
DuVernay amplifies the independent work of people of color and women of all kinds through her non-profit narrative change collective, ARRAY. She sits on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Board of Governors, representing the directors branch in her second term.
Khalil Gibran Muhammad is the Ford Foundation Professor of History, Race and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. He directs the Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project and is the former Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a division of the New York Public Library and the world’s leading library and archive of global black history.
ABOUT THE FILM
Written and directed by Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay and inspired by Isabel Wilkerson’s best-selling book “Caste,” “Origin” explores the mystery of history, the wonders of romance and a fight for the future of us all. Featuring Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (“King Richard”), as well as Niecy Nash-Betts, Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Nick Offerman and Blair Underwood.
HOW TO WATCH
Watch and share the discussion via the Institute of Politics’ YouTube.
With any questions, please reach out to IARA@hks.harvard.edu.
Watch talkABOUT THE FILM
Written and directed by Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay and inspired by Isabel Wilkerson’s best-selling book “Caste,” “Origin” explores the mystery of history, the wonders of romance and a fight for the future of us all. Featuring Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (“King Richard”), as well as Niecy Nash-Betts, Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Nick Offerman and Blair Underwood.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Art, entertainment, and sports shape American life. As cultural pillars, they reflect who we are, what we discuss, and which stories we remember. For better or worse, they form how we see each other — and how we see ourselves.
During the 2023-2024 academic year, the Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project (IARA) is partnering with the Institute of Politics (IOP) to host a series of three talks by nationally recognized speakers addressing the theme ‘Culture of Change: racial equity in art, entertainment, and sports’.
This Speaker Series will explore themes including art as a form of protst, the value of entertainment in shaping political discourse, and the historical reckoning of cultural institutions with their legacies of injustice. Anyone can tune in via livestream, and Harvard ID holders are invited to attend in-person at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum — Harvard’s premier arena for political speech, discussion, and debate.