PANORAMA: Origin

After the screening, join us for a discussion with Dr. Suraj Yengde, a leading world scholar on the subject of caste who plays himself in the film, and WGBH’s Phillip Martin.

Written and directed by Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay, Origin chronicles the tragedy and triumph of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson as she investigates a global phenomenon of epic proportions.

Portrayed by Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (King Richard), Isabel experiences unfathomable personal loss and love as she crosses continents and cultures to craft one of the defining American books of our time. Inspired by the New York Times best-seller “Caste,” Origin explores the mystery of history, the wonders of romance and a fight for the future of us all.

ABOUT DR. SURAJ YENGDE

Currently a W.E.B. Du Bois Fellow at Harvard University, Dr. Yengde is one of India’s leading scholars and public intellectuals. Author of the bestselling Caste Matters (2019), which has been published in three languages (with four more in progress), he is currently involved in developing a critical theory of Dalit and Black Studies. His work with the philosopher Cornel West has received global attention and calls for unity between African Americans and Dalits. He is also a columnist at the Indian Express running the only caste-centric column anywhere in the world. For more information, visit surajyengde.com.

ABOUT PHILLIP MARTIN

Senior investigative reporter for The GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting, Phillip Martin is a multi-award winning journalist. In 2022 he was selected as a Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Other honors include a 2022 National Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the multi-part GBH News series "Unseen" and the first ever Caste Award granted by Brandeis University for his Pulitzer Center-supported project “Caste in America.” See here for more information.