12 Years a Slave

A turning point in Oscar history, this period drama by Steve McQueen (Hunger, Small Axe) depicts slavery with stunningly powerful imagery, delivers scenes that stay with you long after, and went on to win Oscars for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress for the phenomenal Lupita Nyong’o.

Synopsis

In the years before the Civil War, a free Black man from upstate New York is abducted and sold into slavery in the South. Enduring the cruelty of a vicious master, he finds unexpected kindness in another, all while fighting relentlessly to survive and hold on to his dignity. In the twelfth year of his harrowing ordeal, a chance encounter with a Canadian abolitionist changes his life forever.