Stunning First Teaser for Ava DuVernary’s Globe-Spanning Film ‘Origin’
by Alex Billington
September 5, 2023
Source: YouTube
“All of this is linked…” Wow this looks phenomenal. Neon has unveiled an official teaser trailer for a film titled Origin, the latest work from acclaimed writer / director / producer Ava DuVernay. It’s also listed under the title Origins, though the festival is still calling it Origin. It’s premiering at the 2023 Venice Film Festival this week, and was also announced for TIFF and London later this fall. The descriptions so far are a bit vague, calling it a love story, but it’s more than that. “The unspoken system that has shaped America and chronicles how lives today are defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.” Neon adds: Origin, inspired by the remarkable life and work of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson as she pens her seminal book, “Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents”. While grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, Isabel sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery. Despite the colossal scope of her project, she finds beauty and bravery while crafting one of the defining American books of our time. With Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Nick Offerman, Finn Wittrock, Jasmine Cephas-Jones, Connie Nielsen. Got a really good feeling this film might just blow us all away.
Here’s the first look teaser trailer for Ava DuVernay’s Origin, direct from Neon’s YouTube:
“Sometimes beauty doesn’t look beautiful. Sometimes beauty is a truth revealed, a lesson learned. My experience making ORIGIN was an exquisite, complicated journey that revealed its beauty in both good times and challenging times. This film transformed how I think about my work and my life, about love and being. The collaboration with an actor as gifted and passionate as Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor was a indescribable gift. The daily camaraderie of my producing partner Paul Garnes, cinematographer Matt Lloyd and editor Spencer Averick was a source of abundant joy. All in all, the story of making this film mirrors the journey of the main character within the film. She finds beauty in harnessing bravery, ignoring naysayers and turning trauma into triumph. Gratefully, I did too.” –Director Ava DuVernay
Quick intro from Venice: “Origin chronicles the remarkable life and work of Pulitzer Prize winning author Isabel Wilkerson as she investigates the genesis of injustice and uncovers a hidden truth that affects us all.” Origin is directed by the acclaimed Oscar-nominated American writer / producer / filmmaker Ava DuVernay, director of the movies I Will Follow, Middle of Nowhere, Selma, 13th, and A Wrinkle in Time previously, and a producer / director on many other projects including “When They See Us”, “Colin in Black & White”, and “Queen Sugar” streaming recently. The screenplay is also written by Ava DuVernay, based on the book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” written by Isabel Wilkerson. Produced by Ava DuVernay and Paul Garnes. This is premiering at the 2023 Venice Film Festival in the Main Competition this month, with premieres at TIFF & London as well later this fall. Neon will debut DuVernay’s Origin in theaters nationwide sometime later this year – stay tuned for an exact release date. First impression? Looking good?
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