“Welcome. Mr. and Mrs. Packer are delighted to have you this evening,” I was told as I was greeted in the foyer. “Would you like a glass of Chandon or Rosé?” Little did they know, I was more delighted to be there than they were to have me.
2016’s Sundance Film Festival was like none of its predecessors. Placed in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, independent film The Birth of a Nation took home both the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize, and was purchased at $17.5 million by Fox Searchlight Pictures – the largest deal from the festival to date. While the acquisition of the film and the awards were historical for actor Nate Parker, who wrote, produced, directed and starred in the film, what’s more historical is the elaborate tale that was told of revolutionary slave, Nat Turner.
As I was led down the staircase of incredible producer Will Packer, and his beautiful wife Heather Packer’s gorgeous Sandy Springs home to the family room, I was welcomed with passing trays of delectable treats and smiling faces. Though an intimate evening was in the making, the amount of respectable and influential names in the room was a reminder of what Nate Parker was on a mission to do when he made the decision to take on this project.
Alhough the list of stars and friends filling both the room and the outside area that hosted the Packer’s 2015 surprise wedding included Big Boi of Outkast, Ludacris, LeToya Luckett, Michael Ealy, Naturi Naughton, Ambassador Andrew Young, Chaka Zulu, Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker, Rob Hardy, and more, it was clear to see that the purpose behind this close-knit evening was not to focus on the list of stars in attendance, but to send a message to both the black community and our nation that we live in.
Leading everyone into the movie room, which was lined with posters ranging from Packer’s 2000 film Trois and 2009's Obsessed, to one of his most recent, Straight Outta Compton, he requested a moment of silence for the slain and injured victims of Orlando’s targeted massacre. After silent prayers filled the room, Packer, who was joined by his wife at the front of the room, told guests, “I had no part in the making of this film. We support us, we support what we’re doing. Everybody in this room has supported me on some level or another,” as his lovely wife agreed. “There’s a misconception that stories like the one you are about to see have been told so much, over and over again, and that there’s a saturation about movies of this kind. That actually is not the case. There are a lot of stories that haven’t been told yet.”
In our history books, the story of the slave who rebelled against his master in 1831 is given in the smallest way possible. At most, readers can find a page of history dedicated to Nat Turner and the movement he inspired to remind blacks of not only their importance, but their strength, dignity, and power. Nate Parker, who plays the role of Nat Turner, has the ability to evoke the needed recall of what Turner fought for and how one decision to make a stand for change can be relevant to where we, as a nation and as a black community, currently stand today.
Entangled in the history lesson of the black literate preacher and his 48-hour attempt at freeing slaves, is a love story that presents black marriages in an exceptional and courageous light. What also should be noticed though, is the love story of Turner and his faith, as well as the selfless love he has for all those who are in a state of oppression. Demanding the undivided attention of everyone in the room, Parker’s storyline, intricate detailing, and extensive research managed to impart wisdom, appreciation, brotherly love, and the desire for continued discussion that highlights the need for more films based around our history.
“When he says birth of a nation, that’s the suffering and sacrifice of blood of which we’ve come,” Ambassador Andrew Young said of the movie after the screening. “The struggle has to continue.”
“I love when people make films like this because I think it’s coming from the standpoint of actually trying to change the world and how we see things and how we view things. If we weren’t taught enough about our history, it’s trying to make a change in that,” rapper and actor Ludacris stated. “What I feel is so great about the film is reinvigorating the thought process of “it’s not where we came from necessarily, but where we’re going”. But, we have to know our history in order to know where we’re going, and that’s the general consensus.”
Highlighting the story of his preacher background seemed to be an unknown fact for most of the room. Rapper Big Boi of the legendary group Outkast said, “I absolutely, positively did not know he was a preacher. He was a man of God, first, and just to see his transformation to what he became…it’s just mind blowing. Nate Parker did a great job.”
“I love when somebody makes a story like this because it gives you detail on the things you did not know. It’s going to spark something in everyone that sees it to want to know more about our history. It really taught me a lot and it’s going to make me go back and start researching,” singer and new mom Kandi Burruss said of the upcoming release. “This is a real true story and it needed to be told.”
Emotionally torn, LeToya Luckett and actor Michael Ealy focused in on the pride and power that evolved from the film. “It showed power and it showed strength in their willingness to still be obedient, but at the same time rise up. The way they rose up at the end, something rose up in me. They wanted to fight for their rights and fight for their family, and I can definitely say I’ve had those moments where I’ve wanted to rise up,” she said. Ealy, who had tears in his eyes as he spoke, gave an emotionally charged speech that delivered his thoughts on the film. “They had even more vision – even more courage – to fight against. They had no idea what good looked like. They had no idea what good looked like for black folks; we at least know that now,” he told ESSENCE. “To fight back, you almost look at that now like “Yeah, I would’ve done the same thing,” but you probably wouldn’t have. You would’ve been a part of the status quo, and that’s why people like Nat Turner’s story needs to be told.”
As the night wrapped up and everyone left, the shift in both the amount of pride and confidence walking out of that room was far more apparent than it was when they each walked down the stairs leading into an unforgettable night hosted by the warming and family-oriented Will and Heather Packer. “It was very heavy. I feel like it was a story that needed to be told; a story that I hadn’t heard,” Heather Packer told ESSENCE of the film. “There are a plethora of stories out there that need to be told, and told well. And this, this was told well,” Will Packer followed behind his wife. “You can tell that as you watched this film, there was a lot of passion.”
Heather also shared her thoughts on what it meant for her to watch the movie as a black woman. “I took notice of how strong we are. They endured so much and how strong their men – how supportive they were of their women. And, that despite everything that they were going through, they stuck together. The resilience; the love that they had for each other was incredible.”
When asked about what was noticeable to him about black men, Will responded, “The power. The courage. The selflessness of Nat Turner. At the end of the film, he’s very selfless. There are moments when we see what happens to his wife that he could have immediately gone out and killed white people for doing that to her and that would have been a singular act that would’ve quenched his singular thirst for vengeance, but he didn’t. What he did was, he allowed himself to be bigger than just himself, and he propagated a revolt that included everybody that was around. It wasn’t just about what they did to him or what they did to his wife or what they did to his family, it was about what they did to everybody. It was definitely about the community.”
Still wondering what you should be able to take away from the upcoming film? If you ask the host Will Packer, he’ll tell you power. “You’ll really be able to take away from this how powerful Nat Turner was. He was a man of God; he was a Christian; he was a preacher. He was powerful. He had a powerful voice, and he used it to uplift the people at a time where nobody was uplifted. He was a singular voice uplifting at a time where no one was.”
I once recall hearing that there’s no way we can correct the future if we’re not knowledgeable of our past, and Nate Parker’s riveting tale of a hero scarcely mentioned in full, is the perfect way to begin your history lesson.
The Birth of a Nation hits theaters Oct. 7.
(Photos courtesy of Robin Lori/Getty Images)