Origin

film by DuVernay [2023]

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July 22, 2026

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The film Origin (2023) by Ava DuVernay is a biographical drama based on the life and work of journalist and author Isabel Wilkerson. The movie chronicles Wilkerson's personal and professional journey as she researched and wrote her critically acclaimed book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (2020).12

Wilkerson's book explores the concept of social hierarchies in the United States, drawing parallels between the American caste system, Nazi Germany, and the caste system in India. The film Origin delves into the experiences that shaped Wilkerson's understanding of these deeply embedded structures of injustice.21

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Ava DuVernay
…to directing feature films with Origin, a dramatization of journalist Isabel Wilkerson’s personal and professional experiences as she researched and wrote her best-selling book Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents (2020). DuVernay also wrote the film’s script.
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…to directing feature films with Origin, a dramatization of journalist Isabel Wilkerson’s personal and professional experiences as she researched and wrote her best-selling book Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents (2020). DuVernay also wrote the film’s script.
Read More

Audra McDonald
Films and TV
(2023), about Bayard Rustin; and Origin (2023), Ava DuVernay’s dramatization of Isabel Wilkerson’s research and writing of the book Caste (2020).
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(2023), about Bayard Rustin; and Origin (2023), Ava DuVernay’s dramatization of Isabel Wilkerson’s research and writing of the book Caste (2020).
Read More