Living under slavery on a Maryland plantation in the 1840s, Araminta Ross (Cynthia Erivo) goes by the name Minty. About half the state’s Black residents are free and half enslaved. Minty knows the risk, but when opportunity comes, she sets out alone to walk 100 miles north to Philadelphia. Along the way, Minty gains help from the loose collection of new friends and abolitionists known as the Underground Railroad.
Once in Philadelphia, she meets Marie (Janelle Monáe), a sophisticated, free-born woman who helps her to claim her place and power in the new society with a new name: Harriet Tubman. Against all advice, Tubman returns south to lead her loved ones to freedom. When Congress passes the Fugitive Slave Act, no place in the US is safe. Now Tubman must lead her charges 500 miles north to a place where slavery was recently outlawed: Canada.
Cynthia Erivo was a discovery for many in Steve McQueen’s Widows. Here she proves herself an exemplary leading woman, riveting in every scene, and giving her portrayal the scale and depth appropriate to such a legendary American leader.
- Price: From £8.50
- Duration: 140 mins
- Origin: USA
- Director: Kasi Lemmons
- Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Janelle Monáe
- Year of Release: 2019
More Birmingham Listings MORE
And Still I Rise
And Still I Rise brings an inspiring evening of new Black creativity to Midlands Arts Centre, showcasing emerging…
Celebrating Black History Month: MOBBO – Music of Black British Origin & More
MOBBO – Music of Black British Origin & More opens October with an evening celebrating the sounds, stories…
An Evening of Excellence
An Evening of Excellence brings contemporary art, fine dining, entertainment and community together for a sophisticated celebration of…
Sylvia
Sylvia tells the powerful and often overlooked story of Sylvia Pankhurst — a fearless, complex and determined figure…
Margaret Busby: Part of the Story
Pioneering publisher, editor, writer and cultural campaigner Margaret Busby comes to Birmingham Literature Festival to reflect on more…
African Soul Rebels
African Soul Rebels returns for a new generation, bringing some of the most adventurous voices in contemporary African…
Melanin Marvels Festival – Black History Month Children’s Festival
Melanin Marvels Festival – Black History Month Children’s Festival comes to Birmingham for a vibrant celebration of children’s…
Benjamin Zephaniah Day: A Festival of Rhythm, Unity and Revolution
Birmingham celebrates the extraordinary life and legacy of Benjamin Zephaniah with an afternoon of poetry, music, dance, creativity…