![]() ![]() In the end, Packer said that scene embodies the spirit of "Roots" - a story about courage and survival. "I think a lot of us today, black, white and other, could learn from that.” "To me that speaks to his pride and acknowledgment of the importance of his heritage and the strength of his culture," Packer said. In a pained whisper, Kinte muttered a barely audible, "Toby." The punishment ceased. Packer said he admired Kinte for holding on as long as he physically could. It was Kinte's name, his pride and his longing for home that made him endure. But it’s not just the graphic nature of that scene. “And it’s so superbly directed and acted. “Obviously, the visuals are gut-wrenching and the pain is visceral,” Packer said. Each one more stinging than the last as his raw flesh was ripped free from his body and blood pooled on the sandy ground. The slave handler dared the other slaves to look away or they'd be next.Ī snapping sound rang out as Kinte's exposed back received the first lash. Kinte was brutally beaten by the slave handler, who insisted Kinte say his owner-given name, "Toby." Defiant and prepared to be punished, Kinte stood still as his limp arms were strapped over his head on whipping post for all the slaves to witness. They couldn't be switched on and off once the director said cut. One scene is still hard for Packer to watch. Actors, dressed in authentic garb, offered an eerie realness to the period piece. Louisiana plantations served as the film's backdrop. ![]() "How do we not start to change the narrative? We have to take away the stigma of guilt, of shame, because ultimately, although it’s a horrific story, it is also a story of intense survival and perseverance." "If we don’t tell this story of the enslaved human in the United States from Africa, how do we remember that it happened?," she asked. In an interview with Variety, Rose emphasized the story's importance in U.S. “She was very focused on Kizzy’s journey and making sure we were true to the spirit of what a black woman had to endure and what a black woman really was at that time." “She really came in and embodied Kizzy in a way that no other actress could,” Packer said. The miniseries, based on Alex Haley's novel of the same name, spans Kunta Kinte's life as a young man, a father, a husband and generations of other slaves. Rose plays Kizzy, Kinte's daughter. It features the journey of protagonist Kunta Kinte, an African warrior who was captured, enslaved and forced to disavow his culture. The History Channel, through A+E Studios, premiered the "Roots" remake on Memorial Day. It’s the most important project I’ve ever had my name on." “I thought, ‘You know what? I have not only an opportunity but a responsibility,” said Packer, who produced the eight-hour miniseries. Making the movie, Packer said, was a spiritual experience. “For me, this means so much. But the 42-year-old looked at his own four children, ranging from ages 21 to 12 who had never seen the original Roots. Packer said there was a fatigue among black viewers who recoiled at the odious treatment of their ancestors during slavery. Neither was producing a "Roots" remake for this generation. "The power of that moment was not lost on me at all." “The fact that you had two Rattlers there on the White House lawn while we have an African-American president in office," Packer explained. Packer produced the record-shattering "Straight Outta Compton." Rose starred as Disney's first black princess in "The Princess and the Frog." They were friends and Florida A&M University graduates who pursued film careers, making history. ![]() Packer, a Hollywood dynamo in TV and film, always wanted to work with Rose. On a biting, overcast day a few weeks ago, Will Packer and Anika Noni Rose were White House guests at the private pre-screening of "Roots," the remake of the iconic 1977 production.
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