Director Ava DuVernay’s powerful drama Selma is one of the best films of the year. It’s a movie both of its time and of our time, as DuVernay chronicles Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s (David Oyelowo) involvement in the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, which directly lead to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
In anticipation of the film’s release, Paramount has unveiled a new Selma trailer as well as a lyric video for Common and John Legend’s original song “Glory”, which was written for the film.
DuVernay’s direction prevents the film from ever feeling like a piece of history, as her focus is always on connecting the relevance of this particular story to what’s going on in our world today. In light of recent events, the picture depressingly feels even more timely. Selma is a phenomenal piece of filmmaking all around, and I implore you to see it when it comes to a theater near you.
Check out the new Selma trailer, lyric video, and images after the jump. The film also stars Carmen Ejogo, Tom Wilkinson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Alessandro Nivola, Giovanni Ribisi, Common, Lorraine Toussaint, Tim Roth, and Oprah Winfrey.
Selma opens in limited release on Christmas Day and expands nationwide on January 9, 2015.
Here’s the official synopsis for Selma:
SELMA is the story of a movement. The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement.
Director Ava DuVernay’s SELMA tells the story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.
Source: http://collider.com/