A recently released movie about the peculiar institution known as slavery in America is drawing attention and praise for an emotional and brutal portrayal largely unseen in Hollywood."12 Years a Slave," directed by Steve McQueen, is based on an 1853 autobiography of free man turned slave Solomon Northup.Jeffrey Brown has our conversation with one of the filmmakers.When we first meet Northup, he's a well-educated carpenter and musician living with his wife and children in Saratoga Springs, New York.The film follows as he's kidnapped and sold into slavery, experiencing all its brutality and forced to hide his identity and education, for fear of punishment or death.In this scene, he encounters the wife of a cruel Louisiana plantation owner.This is a list of goods and sundries. You will take it to be filled and return immediately. Take the tag. Tell Bartholomew to add it to our debt.Yes, missus.Where you from?I told you.Tell me again.Washington.Who were your master?Master name of Freeman.Was he a learned man?I suppose so.He learn to you read?A word here or there, but I have no understanding of the written text.Well, don't trouble yourself with it. Same as the rest, master brought you here to work. That's all. Any more will earn you a hundred lashes.
