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Renowned writer, director and producer Ava DuVernay spoke with us about the creation behind her script for ‘Origin’, and how she shot a large portion of the film in India.
How did you come up with the story for Origin, and why was it a project that you were passionate to create?
Well, the film is based on a book called Caste, by Isabel Wilkerson. I read the book in the fall of 2020, and was really captivated by the ideas put forth. Seeing the connections of caste across time and space across all parts of the world and in different cultures really sparked my imagination, and I wanted to share it.
How did you decide to integrate the Indian caste system into the film, and what kind of research did you have to do beforehand?
I really tried to follow the base of Isabel Wilkerson’s years of research but I also wanted to expand the section that focused on India … so I set out to research that and learn as much as I could. In the time before I made the film, I engaged with a scholar named Dr. Suraj Yengde, who is a Dalit man, and who focuses on the connection between the African American and Dalit experience. I traveled to India a few times trying to observe and listen and put all that into the story with as much good intention as I could.
DuVernay and Dr. Yengde worked closely together throughout the filming of the movie, and DuVernay took several suggestions from Yengde, and even included him as an actor in the film.
Was it difficult to film in India in terms of sets, or were you filming on location? What was that process like?
One of my most beautiful cinematic experiences in terms of production is in India. The crews are impeccable, and you know the Indian film industry is one of the best in the world. Every crew member that we worked with was extraordinary … very very great at their jobs. My experience from top to bottom in India was so fantastic that I hope to go back, and film more.
DuVernay explained how she adapted Wilkerson’s book ‘Caste’ into the script for ‘Origin’ and whether she had to change some of the foundational aspects of the book.
Yes, the film is different from the book. That’s why we don’t call it ‘Caste’ because it’s really about the journey of the woman as she writes the book. There’s a lot in the film that’s not in the book: her personal story, her journey and her triumph over personal loss and tragedy in order to walk through the grief and write the book. As people go to watch the film, they will be watching a journey of a woman on an intellectual adventure and they’ll see the history of African American people.
DuVernay went on to explain how audiences would be able to see the connection between the history of African Americans, the Holocaust, and the caste system in India.
You have worked on several other documentaries and social films, most notably ‘When They See Us’, which is based on the Central Park Five. For you, what makes ‘Origin’ stand out for you and what do you hope that audiences who go to see the film are able to take away from the story?
I’m not making the film to try and be different or to try to do anything better or worse than anyone else. It’s really made as an offering – I’m an artist too. I wanted to tell the story to invite people to think about these ideas, think about our connections as people … and hopefully come to some personal conclusions about how we want to behave in the world into one another.
