Origin

“The tragedy of caste is that we are judged on the very things that we cannot change. Signposts on our bodies of gender and ancestry, superficial differences that have nothing to do with who we are on the inside.”

Powerful, pertinent and profound, Origin allows director Ava DuVernay to explore complex concepts of caste, social hierarchy, racism and inequality, through the grounded human lens of author Isabel Wilkerson research journey to understand more of the human condition and the conditions some humans are subjected to because of systematic oppression, in a film that bristles with bite and hits directly into the heart.

Discussion Points:

This is not a subtle film. It’s a hard hitting sledgehammer that some may accuse of being preachy or woke or saccharine and sappy. But in reality, so many people’s heads are buried so deeply within the sand of intolerance, that an earthquake is needed to shake their ears loose so they can hear the reality of injustices in this world. Ava DuVernay has directed both powerful biopics in Selma, and daring documentaries in 13th, and she combines the two here telling the story of Isabel Wilkerson and her research journey towards writing “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents”. DuVernay could have simply made a documentary that unpacks the similarities found across cultural systems of intolerance and oppression, but instead she seeks to biograph the author of Caste, rooting the story in her life and through her lens, as she unpacks her own experiences and those of others that she knows, meets, interviews and studies. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is absolutely breathtaking, with magnificent poise and power, amidst heartbreak, hardship and hurt. Her drive and will to learn and teach is inspiring, as she gives voice to the voiceless, and champions those of the past who’ve sought to understand and rebel against caste discrimination. This is an important film about an unignorable issue, rooted in a deeply human story of love and loss. Intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging. A fantastic powerful film.