Paramount Pictures has made Ava DuVernay‘s Civil Rights-era biopic Selma free to rent on all digital platforms throughout the month of June. This announcement comes in response to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis who died from a white police officer kneeling on his neck, sparking impassioned protests all around the world over police brutality.
Selma joins other black filmmaker’s projects that tackle racial issues, made available digitally at no cost for audiences to widely educate themselves in the wake of Floyd’s prejudiced death. Other free films include Warner Bros.’ Just Mercy starring Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx and Brie Larson, as well as DuVernay’s Oscar-nominated Netflix documentary 13th, which dives deep into the country’s prison industrial complex and racial history. 13th is also free for viewing on Youtube.
Paramount announced its intent for making Selma widely available: “We hope this small gesture will encourage people throughout the country to examine our nation’s history and reflect on the ways that racial injustice has infected our society. The key message of Selma is the importance of equality, dignity and justice for all people. Clearly, that message is as vital today as it was in 1965.”
DuVernay also took to Twitter to announce the news, captioning: “Happy to share: Paramount Pictures is offering SELMA for free rental on all US digital platforms for June, starting today. We’ve gotta understand where we’ve been to strategize where we’re going. History helps us create the blueprint. Onward.”
Selma was nominated for best picture at the 87th annual Academy Awards. The historical drama picture centers on the 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, as a part of the campaign to secure equal voting rights. David Oyelowo played Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with Carmen Ejogo, Tessa Thompson and Andre Holland also starring.
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