THE OTHERS
Ava Duvernay takes on ‘Origin’ of American racism
Easily among the year’s most original pictures, Ava DuVernay’s “Origin” confirms that this filmmaker has the clout, determination and the vision to make movies her own way.
“I’d read the book ‘Caste: The Origins of
Our Discontents’ by the Pulitzer Prize winner Isobel Wilkerson. That there is something underneath the ‘isms’ called caste. That was a provocative idea and I read it several times.” DuVernay explained in a virtual press conference.
In adapting this scholarly book, the filmmaker needed to configure a story. “I wanted a character we would follow to animate ideas and that character would be Wilkerson herself. Her life was at a challenging time as she wrote the book, because she lost the three most important people when writing this — and she allows us to go through this with her.
“It’s a beautiful love story, of a woman falling in love with life in all its tribulations.”
DuVernay cast Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Oscar-nominated for “King Richard,” as Wilkerson.
“My first conversation with Ava was before I was cast in the film,” Ellis-Taylor said. “I was aware of the book — and her other books the second time she won the Pulitzer Prize. She’s one of the most important voices about America and who we are in this world.
“Ava talked to me and told me what she wanted to do. She wanted to go to India and do it guerilla style because she didn’t have a lot of money.
“So I started to work with Ava who I believe is a freedom fighter disguised as a director.”
“Origin” posits that racism isn’t based on race, but as a facet of a caste system. In India the lowest caste is made up of brown people just like the highest level Brahmins. Nazi Germany’s caste bias fueled the extermination of Jews.
Finn Wittrock, a veteran of several seasons of “American Horror Story,” is in “Origin” flashback scenes showing the Nazis notorious book burnings in 1933 Berlin.
“Intense,” Wittrock said, “would be the word for this. Ava has an energy that demands you to come to her level. I filmed in Savannah for only a week and it was hardest work I’ve done, having to learn German and this dance.
“For the dance she got the extras to do jumping jacks which she and all the Assistant Directors also did. So we’d all be sweaty when we started this dance.
“I haven’t,” Wittrock added, “stopped talking about this. It brings up some uncomfortable stuff because we’re still living this story.“It’s such an emotional movie. So many times I’ve heard audible crying in the theater.”
“Origin” is in theaters Jan. 26