movies you can support instead of seeing birth of a nation

boyega-john:

Queen of Katwe (2016), dir. Mira Nair

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Directed by Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay, Mississippi Masala) and starring Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo, Queen of Katwe tells the true story of Phiona Mutesi, a young girl from Uganda who dreams of becoming a world chess champion. In cinemas now

Metacritic score: 73 RT score: 91% Trailer here 

Fences (2016), dir. Denzel Washington

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Directed and staring Denzel Washington as well as Viola Davis, Fences is a movie set in 50s Pittsburgh about an African-American father dealing with race relations in the US and the events of his life. Out on December 25

Trailer here

Moonlight (2016), dir. Barry Jenkins

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Moonlight is the heartbreaking story of a young black man living in Miami struggling to come to terms with his identity, told across three different chapters of his life, from childhood to adulthood. Directed by Barry Jenkins and starring Mahershala Ali, Andre Holland, Naomie Harris. Out on December 21st

Metacritic score: 98 RT score: 98%  Trailer here 

13th (2016), dir. Ava DuVernay

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Directed by Ava DuVernay, 13th is a beautifully constructed and essential documentary which offers an in depth look at the prison system in the United States and explores the country’s history of racial inequality. Available on Netflix now

Metaritic score: 91 Rotten tomatoes:  Trailer here

Hidden Figures (2017), dir. Theodore Melfi

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Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octovia Spencer and Janelle Monae, Hidden Figures is the untold story of three women working at NASA and responsible for making the program’s first space mission a success. Out on January 13

Trailer here

A United Kingdom (2017), dir. Amma Asante

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Directed by Amma Asante, A United Kingdom is the first movie directed by a Black British director to open the London Film Festival. Based on true events, the movie focuses on the interracial relationship between Seretse Khama, the King of Botswana, and Ruth Williams, a white London office worker and the consequences this relationship will have on both their countries. Out on February 17

Metacritic score: 67 RT: 90%

“I Am Not Your Negro” (2016), dir. Raoul Peck

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From the Toronto International Film Festival website: Working from the text of James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck (Moloch Tropical, Murder in Pacot) creates a stunning meditation on what it means to be Black in America. Samuel L. Jackson narrates the documentary.

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