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In 'Origin,' Ava DuVernay and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor seek the roots of racism

Ava DuVernay’s “Origin” takes a heavyweight work of historical and sociological inquiry and transforms it into a deeply humanistic drama and globe-trotting detective story.

If “Caste” sought to describe some of the man-made hierarchies that repeat throughout history, “Origin” – which DuVernay and her producing partner, Paul Garnes, gathered financing for independently – is itself a work that boldly and beautifully transcends conventional Hollywood limitations. “Origin” opens with a dramatic recreation of the shooting of Trayvon Martin and later dips into historical vignettes including Nazi Germany, Jim Crow-era Mississippi and the experience of the Dalits in India. A prominent proponent of inclusivity in cinema and the first African American woman to direct a $100 million-budgeted live-action film, she’s accustomed to the cultural battles that often accompany frank discussions of race.

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