Origin trailer – Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor leads Ava DuVernay’s moving drama film to fight racial discrimination

The Academy-awards nominated director Ava DuVernay is gearing up to return with yet another masterpiece “Origin” after getting recognition for Selma and A Wrinkle in Time. The emotional drama is led by Oscar nominated star Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor leading the ensemble cast. Today Neon brought the touching tale to the viewers by dropping the striking trailer.

Based on Isabel Wilkerson’s 2020 best-selling novel, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents – It delves into the fearless tale of Isabel who channels her personal crisis into an emotional healing journey by helping others. She embarks on the path of investigation and discovery while grappling with her troubled past.

Origin Trailer

In the 2:24 minute trailer, we witness Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel, narrating her life to the audience in a soothing voiceover, revealing that heartbreaks are inevitable, be it in friendship or love.

Ellis-Taylor portrays the role of a dedicated author (Isabel) who is battling personal grief while navigating an awakening for society, citing racial discrimination and hate crimes.

“You don’t escape trauma by ignoring it, you escape trauma by confronting it,” the female voiceover reveals to the camera.

Written, produced, and directed by DuVernay, the trailer of Origin embedded a few shots of India and Nazi occupation to delve deeper into the racial stereotypes that divide the nation to the brim of destruction and racial discrimination, like India’s caste system to the Nazi Germans.

Cast

The star-studded cast includes Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor leading the ensemble, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Nick Offerman, Blair Underwood, Finn Wittrock, Jasmine Cephas-Jones and Connie Nielsen in pivotal roles.

Inspired by the novel’s author, Isabel, and her struggles as she writes the life-changing book, the story has a deeper meaning and hence received critical acclaim for Taylor’s exceptional performance.

Currently, the movie is premiering in selected theatres but it is scheduled for a wider release on January 19, 2024.