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My Conversation With Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen discusses howcame together at a time when events, including the Trayvon Martin tragedy, and the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, created a "perfect storm" of opportunity to look back in history in order to move forward as a society.
Tavis Smiley
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PBS talk show host, PRI radio host, NYT bestselling author

PBS talk show host, PRI radio host, NYT bestselling author
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Tonight on PBS, I sit down for a conversation with acclaimed British filmmaker Steve McQueen about his new film 12 Years a Slave, which Oscar-buzz predicts is a front-runner for Best Picture. The film is based on the true-life story of a free African American from New York who was kidnapped during a visit to Washington, D.C. and sold into slavery, spending more than a decade as a slave before he was rescued.

In the clip below, McQueen discusses how the movie came together at a time when events, including the election of President Obama, the Trayvon Martin tragedy, and the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, created a "perfect storm" of opportunity to look back in history in order to move forward as a society.

For more of our conversation, be sure to tune in to "Tavis Smiley" tonight on PBS. Check out our website for your local TV listings. After the show, tweet me @TavisSmiley #SteveMcQueen and let me know what you thought about our conversation.

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