Exclusive: Writer-Director Nate Parker Talks ‘American Skin’

Hitting VOD and Digital platforms January 15, 2021 - MLK Weekend is writer-director Nate Parker’s American Skin.

Executive produced by Spike Lee, the film stars Nate Parker, Omari Hardwick, Beau Knapp, Theo Rossi, Shane Paul McGhie, Milauna Jackson, Sierra Capri, AnnaLynne McCord, and Vanessa Bell Calloway.

Lincoln Jefferson is a Marine veteran who has served two combat tours in Iraq. Now stateside, he works as a custodian in a prestigious California high school, a job he secured only to ensure enrollment in the school to his 14-year old son KJ, following his divorce. One night, Lincoln and his son are stopped by police and an altercation leads to the fatal shooting of Lincoln’s unarmed son. Lincoln, hopeful the system will provide a trial, is dismayed to learn the officer responsible for pulling the trigger will go uncharged and will return to active duty without an indictment. Disillusioned by the fact he was denied a fair trial for the death of his only son, Lincoln desperately takes the matter into his own hands in a series of events he hopes will finally lead to justice for his son.

For Parker, this is his second directorial film following the critically acclaimed The Birth of a Nation. His previous film credits in a leading or prominent role include Beyond the Lights, Red Tails, The Secret Life of Bees, The Great Debaters, Arbitrage, Non-Stop, Felon, and Pride. He’s currently working on his third film Solitary, starring David Oyelowo. BlackFilmandTV.com’s Wilson Morales caught up with Parker as spoke the making of American Skin, from the story to the casting and how it reflects today’s real world stories.