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YEŞiLAY
•
SPRING 2015
CULTURE
CINEMA
Selma
DEMOCRACY
FOR
EVERYTHING
W
Directed by Ava DuVernay, Selma is
based on a chronicle of Martin Luther
King’s campaign to secure freedom
for black people in the United States.
Winning an Oscar for Best Song and having four Golden
Globe Award nominations, Selma is a special movie
directed by one of the renowned Hollywood producters,
Ava DuVernay. As one of the most striking films of the
year, Selma stars David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo and
famous actor TimRother. Being an English of Nigerian
descent, renowned actor Oyelowo stars in the movie as
Martin Luther King who is a prominent figure of United
State’s recent history. Previously, Oyelowo played
supporting roles in the films Interstellar, 96 Minutes
and Jack Reacher. Many other celebrated actors such
as TomWilkinson, Giovanni Ribisi, Cuba Gooding Jr.
and OprahWinfrey also star in the movie. Based on a
chronicle of Martin Luther King’s campaign to secure
freedom for black people in the United States, Selma
is quite an achievement in terms of depicting an epic
landmark both in United States’ recent history and the
20th century. In 1965, three historic civil rigths marchs
were held in the city of Selma in Alabama across a
87-kilometer-road. The aim of those marches was
to defend constitutional rights of black people and
provide them electoral representation in the United
States. Led by Martin Luther King, Jr., those marches
give direction to the spirit of the time and let people
struggle till the inhumane laws are changed. The
movie focuses especially on that three-month period.
Following three remarkable marches, President
Lyndon B. Johnson finally enacted Voting Rights
Act and supporters of civil rights who contributed
to the passage of that act breathed a sigh of relief.
Among the producers of Oscar winning movie 12
Years a Slave, Brad Pitt joins again as a producer
to Selma. The epic film Selma aims to remind the
world what happened in 1965 by marking the 50th
Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Voting
Rights March. In the movie which focuses on touching
story of demonstrators, Oyelowo starring as Martin
Luther King delivers a mediocre performance
(General criticisms in the United States show that
casting could be better). But still the movie is rather
ÖME R Ü ST
Selma
Director:
Ava DuVernay
Stars:
David Oyelowo, TimRoth
Date: 2014
Genre: Dram