Today is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, established by the United Nations.
Different from December 2, which is the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.
In addition to sadly being almost forgotten by most, this day of remembrance needs to be updated more than ever, for the repression of human trafficking, exploitation and the prostitution of others.
So as not to forget this occasion, there are books, documentaries and films that tell shockingly true stories or give plausible facts inspired by events that actually happened.
Django unchained (2012) is an award-winning film by Quentin Tarantino (homage to the 1966 film by Sergio Corbucci) of the drama/western genre, with an extraordinary cast including Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson.
We are in the United States, in 1859, and Django the free man wants to find his beloved wife to free her from slavery, which he managed to escape thanks to a bounty hunter who needs his help to hunt down criminals.
12 years a slave (2013)
Historical and dramatic film based on the autobiographical book of the same name.
The film won the Oscar for best film and among the main actors are Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Brad Pitt and Lupita Nyong'o who was awarded by the Academy for her debut performance.
Solomon Northup was a talented black violinist, living free in New York State with his family. In 1841 he was deceived by two false agents who drugged him and deprived him of his documents and took him to Louisiana, where he remained in slavery until 1853, changing masters three times and working mainly on cotton plantations.
The last two are both by Steven Spielberg: Amistad (1997) and Lincoln (2012).
The first, which received 4 Oscar nominations, tells the story of a group of black slaves who, in 1839, kill the crew of the ship Amistad during the journey from Cuba to the United States, where they would have been sold.
The second one is taken from "Team of Rivals" by Tony Kushner.
As you can guess from the title, the story focuses on President Abraham Lincoln (played by Daniel Day-Lewis), in the period of the abolition of slavery of African Americans. This film was also critically acclaimed, in fact it received 14 nominations and won 2 Oscars.
Here are some films of great impact, the viewing of which will certainly not leave you indifferent.
"I don't want to survive, I want to live."
Solomon Northup
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Written by Olga Raimondo
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