Exploring the harsh realities for a black man sold into slavery in pre-Civil War America, the triple-Oscar-winning film 12 Years a Slave directed by Steve McQueen, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup whose classic written account of his time in bondage forms the basis of this story.
Solomon leaves upstate New York for a job as a violinist, but upon waking from a drugged sleep it appears the visit was a trap and he finds himself in the possession of a slave dealer – before being sold on as a plantation worker. Having been torn from his family and renamed by his new ‘owner’, Solomon must learn to adapt to his new life and take care not to bring the sadistic attention over the slave overseers onto himself.
Also stars Michael Fassbender, Paul Dano and Benedict Cumberbatch.
12 Years a Slave – Wednesday at 9.00pm on Film4.
