ORIGINS (in theatres)

You do not have to have read Isabel Wilkerson’s 2020 “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” to grasp the intensity and legitimacy of her nascent premise; it is not about color, it is “about dividing society into hereditary classes”: born a slave, progeny, slaves; born a Jew, destined for discrimination; born an untouchable (Dalit) children distinguished as polluters of society; sick and sad but in India, alive and pulsating (subtlety);  America, Trayvon Martin (a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time) and antisemitism in our highest educational institutions; revolting in the twenty-first century. 

Having read “Caste”, and hearing Wilkerson speak; her astounding clarity leaves little doubt of her sincerity and belief in her hypothesis; director Ava DuVernay (“Selma”) in tandem with actor Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor ambitiously script a narrative impossible to ignore; traveling to Berlin, India, the deep South she, with blinders removed, unearths the degradations seething in societies imbued with a hierarchy of exclusion; especially compelling is her journey to India where Dalit, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar (1891-1956) rose above his “caste”, earned a myriad of achievements, including being one of the architects of the Indian Constitution; his brilliance transcended his birthright. Today, India hosts innumerable political parties from the shunned untouchables, many led by women (Mayawati, Sant Nirmala, etc.) marginalized, fighting for autonomy. 

“Origins” moves from the universal to the personal; friends and family persecuted, but triumphed over adversity, strength prevailed, salving the wounds. This pivotal, historical film is a lesson, taught by women, souls of remarkable intelligence, wisdom and grace.

FOUR STARS!!!!

Peneflix

“Portrait of Isabel Wilkerson in Red Dress & Hat” by Sherry Mangan Fascetta