Nate Parker attempts to rewrite the past, comment on the present and influence the future with his new film “The Birth of a Nation.” Few projects have been as ambitious, and Parker certainly outdid himself with riveting monologues, sickening images and haunting symbols — some subtle and others so blatant they flirt with the fourth wall. Read more...

Photo: Historical drama film “The Birth of a Nation” follows the life of slave Nat Turner (Nate Parker) as he grows up on a southern plantation in the 1800s. (Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival)

Forty-three UCLA staff members and alumni were involved in projects nominated for the 2016 Emmy awards in 16 different categories. Over the course of four weeks, the A&E staff will feature some of these UCLA affiliated nominees and their projects. Read more...

Photo: Alumnus Larry Kemp drew on his own memories of the 1960s while mixing the dialogue of “All The Way,” nominated for an Emmy Award. He added authentic sounds to newscasts and funeral scenes. (Miriam Bribiesca/Photo editor)

Ellen Scott spends most her of free time at an archive desk, studying 80-year-old film scripts about slavery to determine how the institution’s cinematic image evolved over the years. Read more...

Photo: Ellen Scott received an Academy Scholar grant for exploring cinematic representations of slavery during the Classical Age of Hollywood in her current research.(Miriam Bribiesca/Photo Editor)