One woman's search to discover what divides us
141 minutes
Origin (2023)
While investigating the global phenomenon of caste and its dark influence on society, a journalist faces unfathomable personal loss and uncovers the beauty of human resilience.
An Epic Quest
Based on a true story, Origin tells the story of Isabel Wilkerson, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who sets out to investigate a global phenomenon of epic proportions. Seeking a path forward from personal grief, Isabel embarks on a quest across continents and cultures, determined to unravel some of humanity’s oldest problems: prejudice, discrimination and bigotry.
An Australian Conversation
Based on the groundbreaking bestseller ‘Caste: The Origins of our Discontents’, Origin takes us on Isabel’s journey to discover links between segregation in the Deep South, the Holocaust in Nazi Germany, and the experience of Dalits (‘untouchables’) in India. For Australians, the parallels are stark: Origin brings our history, from the Stolen Generations to the White Australia policy, into sharp new focus.
A Message of Hope
Brought to life by award-winning director Ava DuVernay, one of the most acclaimed filmmakers working today, Origin is a message of hope. On her journey to understand the history and impact of discrimination, Isabel finds that division doesn’t have to be our destiny. Through truth-telling and empathy, we can map a path to equality - and open a door to healing.
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While investigating the global phenomenon of caste and its dark influence on society, a journalist faces unfathomable personal loss and uncovers the beauty of human resilience.
An Epic Quest
Based on a true story, Origin tells the story of Isabel Wilkerson, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who sets out to investigate a global phenomenon of epic proportions. Seeking a path forward from personal grief, Isabel embarks on a quest across continents and cultures, determined to unravel some of humanity’s oldest problems: prejudice, discrimination and bigotry.
An Australian Conversation
Based on the groundbreaking bestseller ‘Caste: The Origins of our Discontents’, Origin takes us on Isabel’s journey to discover links between segregation in the Deep South, the Holocaust in Nazi Germany, and the experience of Dalits (‘untouchables’) in India. For Australians, the parallels are stark: Origin brings our history, from the Stolen Generations to the White Australia policy, into sharp new focus.
A Message of Hope
Brought to life by award-winning director Ava DuVernay, one of the most acclaimed filmmakers working today, Origin is a message of hope. On her journey to understand the history and impact of discrimination, Isabel finds that division doesn’t have to be our destiny. Through truth-telling and empathy, we can map a path to equality - and open a door to healing.
Read our take on Origin
14 Mar 2024
Origin Reshapes How We See Each Other. It’s a Game Changer.
How has Origin impacted you?
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Meet the Filmmakers
Ava DuVernay
Director/Producer
Paul Garnes
Producer
Isabel Wilkerson
Writer - 'Caste'
Ava DuVernay
Director/Producer
A gifted, socially conscious writer, director and producer, Ava DuVernay went from in-demand publicist to helming her own projects when she saw a gap in the marketplace for non-stereotypical African-American independent films of depth and substance. Earning early enormous acclaim, DuVernay is the first African-American woman to receive the Best Director prize at Sundance (for “Middle of Nowhere”), the first Black woman to direct a film nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award (“Selma”), and the first to helm a feature with a budget over one hundred million dollars (“A Wrinkle in Time”).
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