Based on the true story of Solomon Northup, who was a New York State born free African American, kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. The movie won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Mind Stars – Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano…

What we like

• This movie vividly exposes the distorted attitudes, mindset and cruelty of this era with the ownership of people as their right, even claiming it sanctioned by the bible. And on the other hand an educated man that has to make choices in order to survive and has to make sure that his intelligence does not outshine others who claim their superiority based on race. With these contrasts we still see glimmers of hope of those that justly set the circumstances straight at least for Northup

Mind experience

• With abolition of slavery we feel those dark days have ended unfortunately modern slavery or forced labour continues. According to the International Labour Organisation almost 21 million people are victims of forced labour – 11.4 million women and girls and 9.5 million men and boys.  Often time’s people say how can one person make a difference? Firstly if we begin to understand how and why this is happening then we can take small steps to assist with removing this in the way it touches our own lives. Firstly we must be aware

To think about

• Bass:  The law says you have the right to hold a nigger, but begging the law’s pardon… it lies. Is everything right because the law allows it? Suppose they’d pass a law taking away your liberty and making you a slave?
  Edwin Epps:  Ha!
  Bass:  Suppose!
  Edwin Epps:  That ain’t a supposable case.
  Bass:  Because the law states that your liberties are undeniable? Because society deems it so? Laws change. Social systems crumble. Universal truths are constant. It is a fact, it is a plain fact that what is true and right is true and right for all. White and black alike.
• Solomon Northup:  I will not fall into despair! I will keep myself hardy until freedom is opportune!

International Labour Organization
Map the mind movie location
Map the photograph location