Directed by Steve McQueen and featuring a staggering central performance by Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 YEARS A SLAVE (2013) was recognized in the year of its release with an AFI AWARD, naming it among the most outstanding motion pictures of year. According to the official rationale, “12 YEARS A SLAVE is a story amazing – and in no good way. Director Steve McQueen shines a bright light on the horrors of the past – a time when caged and tortured humans were fuel to the machine that is America. Ultimately, this true tale is one of survival, a screenplay written by John Ridley and resting firmly upon the shoulders of Chiwetel Ejiofor, who delivers a strong and soulful performance as Solomon Northup – a free man kidnapped and sold into slavery. His injustice is set against the breathtaking beauty of Southern landscapes, which only serve to enhance atrocities disgracefully forgotten – and never before depicted with such raw intensity.”
Visit the AFI Catalog to learn more about 12 YEARS A SLAVE.