Screening of thriller ‘Get Out’ at Magnolia Leaves of Art, Wednesday

CAIRO - 12 January: “Get Out” (2017), directed by Jordan Peele, will be screening at Zamalek’s Magnolia Leaves of Art on Wednesday. The film will be shown in English with Arabic subtitles.

“Get Out” is a horror or ‘social thriller’ film that gained much fame and traction last year for its decision to address the issue of racism in America. It follows the experience of Chris Washington, a young black man, at his white girlfriend’s family estate in the remote south.

On this trip, he realizes that the family is not what they appear to be, especially after he is suddenly told to escape by the only other black relative at a party.

The film explores the issue of slavery, which remains present in different forms in America, and critiques liberal ignorance and the passive ally-ship of white people, which, according to the Guardian, “leads to a complacency that is just as dangerous [as blatant racism]”.

The film also looks at police and state injustice against black Americans, not only concerning police brutality and undeserved incarceration but also at the issue of missing black Americans, who receive much less attention than missing white women in America.

“Get Out” was nominated for two Golden Globes in the “Musical or Comedy” category; its nomination reopened many discussions on racism in the industry and the dismissal of black narratives. Although the film uses some dark humor to drive its points, it can hardly be considered a comedy.

In the words of director Jordan Peele, “the reason for the visceral response to this movie being called a comedy is that we are still living in a time in which African American cries for justice aren’t being taken seriously.

It’s important to acknowledge that though there are funny moments, the systemic racism that the movie is about is very real.” Regardless of how it is categorized, Peele says, “It’s our truth.”

Starring Daniel Kaluuya as Chris, Allison Williams as Rose, LilRel Howery as Rod and Bradley Whitford as Dean, “Get Out” has been nominated for over one hundred awards and won over eighty. Among its wins are five awards in different categories at the African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA), including ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Director’, ‘Best Actor’, ‘Best Screenplay’ and ‘Top 10 Films’ in which it earned the first place.