'Harriet': An Exclusive Look Into The Film

It is fall 1849 in Dorchester County, Maryland, and Araminta “Minty” Ross is one of the slaves at the Brodess plantation who is about to be sold to new owners in the South. But the young woman would rather flee or die in the face of her terrible fate. Prompted with conviction, she decides to escape. Her odyssey will test her resolve and fortitude as she treks through 100 miles of wilderness mostly on foot, with only God and the North Star to guide her!

Against all odds, she makes it to the Pennsylvania border. As she walks into her freedom, the clouds part with beams of light glowing around her. Alas! Minty is free. Upon her arrival in Philadelphia, she chooses a new name, and Harriet Tubman is born.

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This emotional action sequence highlighting Tubman’s extraordinary race to freedom is from the period piece “Harriet,” the first-ever theatrical film about the remarkable life of the iconic abolitionist whose sheer determination knew no bounds. Directed by Kasi Lemmons, the film, which was shot entirely on location in Virginia, chronicles her escape to freedom, as well as her unselfish acts of returning to the Eastern shore multiple times to liberate her friends and loved ones.

“Inherently, the film celebrates Harriet Tubman’s legacy of courage, humanity, ingenuity and tenacity,” Lemmons tells Patch. “It is a story about a historical action heroine who devoted her life to fighting injustice in all its forms.

Lemmons, a filmmaker whose resume boasts well-acclaimed feature films like “Eve’s Bayou,” “The Cavemen’s Valentine” and “Talk to Me,” shared the delicate nature of her vision for the film.

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“I really wanted to make an entertaining film that could speak to a broad audience, a film that a sophisticated 10-year-old and his grandmother can enjoy,” said the director. “But at the same time, I also wanted to do justice to Harriet’s story, capturing it as accurately as I could.”

This was not an overnight project. In fact, it took a journey of nearly 20 years to get the film made, stretching back to the 1990s when Disney had begun developing a film about Tubman’s life, based on an original script written by Gregory Howard. For several years, it would sit dormant until Debra Martin Chase and Daniela Taplin Lundberg decided to bring it out of Disney.

In 2016, the whole project finally came together with Chase and Lundberg as producers. A year later, Lemmons was hired to re-write the script and to direct the movie, starring Tony-winning actress Cynthia Erivo in the title role.

“Debra and I were committed to get it made,” Lundberg tells Patch. “If necessary, we were prepared to make this movie independently with independent cash financing — a risky move for a period piece. And then, thankfully, Focus Features came on board in late 2018.”

Lundberg, brimming with a smile, couldn’t help but sing Lemmons’ praises for her unwavering commitment to represent Harriet’s story as authentic as possible.

“Kasi spent an entire six months to do her research. In the end, she became a resident expert,” Lundberg recalled. “After reading her draft, I learned that there was a lot of complexity about Harriet’s life that I had never known.”

“I love the authenticity that Kasi brought, including the spiritual and mystical elements of her life,” Lundberg said.

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Lemmons chimed in to echo Tubman’s religious fervor. “I was especially intrigued by the spiritual dimension of her life. She felt she was guided and directed by God as she led slaves to freedom.”

This is the first collaboration between Lemmons and Cynthia Erivo, and the director shared their “perfect actor-director relationship.”

“We were there for each other every step of the way. Cynthia was amazing! She had the ability to be present in character, to be present in the moment,” Lemmons said. “She came physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually prepared to deliver for the role.”

“As for the rest of the cast, it’s the first time I’ve done a movie where everybody felt they were there for the same reason. They would say they’re doing it for Harriett,” Lemmons said.

So, what do Lemmons and Lundberg want the audience to take away from the movie?

“We feel people can get activated and empowered. Here’s a person who was born a slave. She was tiny; she could neither read nor write; she would have epileptic seizures,” Lemmons said. “In spite of it all, she was able to accomplish these great things because of her courage and conviction.”

“It’s a real tale of inspiration. If we can encourage people to come see it and feel that way for other people, then that’s a great success,” Lundberg added.

“Harriet” is now in theaters everywhere.

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