Ava DuVernay

Glasgow Film Festival 2024: ORIGIN
Glasgow Film Festival 2024: ORIGIN

Origin is an incredible, and powerful, insight into a theory of human behaviour that is both fascinating and troubling.

WHEN THEY SEE US: A Haunting, Vital Miniseries
WHEN THEY SEE US: A Haunting, Vital Miniseries

When They See Us may be Ava DuVernay’s finest work, telling a deeply human story about the way people of color have been and continue to be seen.

A WRINKLE IN TIME: Packed With Magic, But Lacking In Subtlety
A WRINKLE IN TIME: Packed With Magic, But Lacking In Subtlety

A Wrinkle in Time has many touching and beautiful moments, in large part due to the incredible and relatable performance of its young star. However, the heavy-handed direction and sugary-sweet story may wear on adults used to more nuanced fare.

A WRINKLE IN TIME Trailer
A WRINKLE IN TIME Trailer

Disney has become a risk-averse production company, heavily reliant on sequels and remakes that have…

13TH: Contextualizing A Movement

Ava DuVernay returns to the documentary format with 13th, a look at the amendment of the United States Constitution that simultaneously abolished slavery and established a loophole for denying rights to targeted groups. The troubling wording in the amendment has to do with convicted criminals, who are the only people exempt from the abolishment of slavery and involuntary servitude. That exemption, while small at the time, has snowballed into a huge issue thanks to America’s system of mass incarceration.

SELMA: A Glorious Performance

John Legend and Common’s powerful performance of Best Original Song nominee, “Glory,” and brave acceptance speech was one of the highlights of the Oscar ceremony last week. That song was a resonant soul/hip-hop combo that captured the atmosphere of its source film well: Ava DuVernay’s Selma, a historical drama about Martin Luther King and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.