A couple of days ago, a high school friend shared this poster with me and my mind couldn't quite comprehend it at the time. I've had a thorough look at it in relation to D. W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" which was released in 1915. Point blank, Griffith's version is a glorification of the Ku Klux Klan. What this film does is to normalise the idea that blacks should be violated, lynched, subjugated,... (insert whatever verb that is basically the equivalent of treating a people like shit). To say that I cannot wait to see Nate Parker's remake is an understatement. What I know for sure is that I will not watch this film alone. Trust that I will gather a whole army of brothas and sistas to share this moment nami. And because I have a projector, I will buy the film and have i-bioscope endlini. I am beyond moved by this poster. The English language is actually failing me lana. I cannot describe what this poster does to me. Basically, ngizizwa ngithintekile endaweni ejulile yilomfanekiso. That. Is. All. I honestly never thought someone would take up this daunting task in my lifetime. * I really gotta give props to the Wits School of Arts for incorporating Griffith's film into the curriculum. Back in my second year, our drama and film lecturer tore Griffith's depiction of blackness apart in front of us. That class was basically like learning kung fu to fight white supremacy. That is where I got my best moves from. That was back in 2007 ya'll. And of course, some white students didn't see value in being taught this part of film history. In actual fact, to them being taught this history was a racist act😏 There was a lot of "That was a long time ago. Black people are free now. We are all equals"😞 Siyabonga Nate Parker✊ #thebirthofanation #nateparker #reimaginingourselves #washa #everythingiseverything #dwgriffithsemoer #ibetgriffithdidntseethiscoming
