Institute History
Description
Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura
U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic
Sun. January 31, 3:30pm, Eccles Theatre, Park City
Sun. January 31, 6:00pm, Eccles Theatre, Park City
Best of Fest: Mon. February 1, 3:30pm, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, SLC
When a little slave boy, Nathaniel “Nat” Turner, was taken to meet the Elders in the deep woods of 1800s Southampton County, Virginia, it was determined he would be a prophet. It became evident that the unusually intelligent boy would become able to read, so he was encouraged to study the Holy Bible and be a preacher to his fellow slaves. But when Nat’s master decides to profit from his preaching skills by putting him on an inter-county preaching tour, Nat begins to see the full contours of slavery and is moved to become a different kind of leader.
Based on true events, The Birth of a Nation is the long-awaited story of Nat Turner, the American-born slave who would lead the most successful slave rebellion in American history. Having appeared as an actor in several features at the Sundance Film Festival (Arbitrage, Red Hook Summer), Nate Parker returns to the Festival with this bold, compelling, and deeply inhabited first-time feature—and proves that he is an ascending triple-threat talent.