Roots

Roots (2016)Release Date:  5/30/16 (Made-for-TV)
Genre:  Drama/Historical
Rating:  NR
Running Time:  Unknown
Studio:  History Channel
Directors:  Bruce Beresford, Thomas Carter, Phillip Noyce, Mario Van Peebles

Cast:  Emayatzy Corinealdi (Belle), Laurence Fishburne (Alex Haley), Carlacia Grant (Irene), Malachi Kirby (Kunta Kinte), Rege-Jean Page (Chicken George), Mekhi Phifer (Jerusalem), Anika Noni Rose (Kizzy), T.I. (Cyrus), Forest Whitaker (Fiddler).

Story:  Remake of the classic TV mini-series that remains one of history’s most watched U.S. broadcasts.  The historical portrait of American slavery recounts the journey of one family and their will to survive and ultimately carry on their legacy despite hardship. Roots will be simulcast on the History Channel, A&E and Lifetime with a May 30th.  Source:  Dark Horizons.

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Freedom

Freedom

Date:  6/5/15 (In Theaters)
Genre:  Drama/Historical
Rating: Unknown
Running Time:  98 mins.
Studio(s):  Production One, Distributors ARC Entertainment
Director:  Peter Cousens

Cast:  Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Samuel), John Newton (Bernhard Forcher), William Sadler (Plimpton), Sharon Leal (Vanessa), David Rasche (Jefferson Monroe), Terrence Mann (Barney Fagan), Michael Goodwin (Garrett).

Story:   Two men separated by 100 years are united in their search for freedom. In 1856 a slave, Samuel Woodward (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) and his family, escape from the Monroe Plantation near Richmond, Virginia. A secret network of ordinary people known as the Underground Railroad guide the family on their journey north to Canada. They are relentlessly pursued by the notorious slave hunter Plimpton (William Sadler). Hunted like a dog and haunted by the unthinkable suffering he and his forbearers have endured, Samuel is forced to decide between revenge or freedom.

100 years earlier in 1748, John Newton the Captain of a slave trader sails from Africa with a cargo of slaves, bound for America. On board is Samuel’s great grandfather whose survival is tied to the fate of Captain Newton. The voyage changes Newton’s life forever and he creates a legacy that will inspire Samuel and the lives of millions for generations to come. Source(s): themoviefreedom.com; IMDB.

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The Free State of Jones

Free State of Jones Poster

Release Date: 5/13/16 (In Theaters)
Genre:  Drama/Historical
Rating:  Unknown
Running Time:  Unknown
Studios:  Larger Than Life Productions, Route One Films, Vendian Entertainment, STX Entertainment, Showtime Networks.
Director: Gary Ross
Cast:  Matthew McConaughey (Newton Knight), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Rachel), Keri Russell (Serena Knight), Mahershala Ali (Moses Washington).

Free State of Jones

Details:  The plot is based on the true story of Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey), a Southern farmer who fell in love with a slave named Rachel (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). This relationship lead him to rebel against the Confederate Army. Actress Keri Russell is set to play Newton’s wife Serena, while Mahershala Ali is portraying Moses Washington, an escaped slave who becomes Newton’s ally in his fight to secede from the Confederacy. Source(s): Movieweb, IMDB.  Photo source: IMDB.

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The Retrieval

The Retrievala/k/a September Morning
Release Date:  (February 3, 2015; DVD) (April 2, 2014; Theatrical Release)
(April 5, 2013, Film Festival)
Genre: Drama/Historical
Rating: Unknown
Running Time: 92 mins.
Studio: Doki-Doki Productions/Sixth Street Films/ Variance Films
Director: Chris Eska
Cast:  Tishuan Scott (Nate), Ashton Sanders (Will), Keston John (Marcus), Bill Oberst, Jr. (Burrell), Christine Horn (Rachel).

Story: 1864: as war ravages the nation, on the outskirts of the Civil War business as usual continues for slave-owners and traders. The Retrieval follows Will, a fatherless 13 year-old boy, who survives by working with a white bounty hunter gang who sends him to earn the trust of runaway slaves in order to lure them back to the South.

On a dangerous mission into the free North to find Nate, a fugitive freedman, things go wrong and Will and Nate find themselves on the run. As the bond between them unexpectedly grows, Will becomes consumed by conflicting emotions as he faces a gut-wrenching final decision. Source: theretrieval.com, the official site; IMDB.

Trailer