Eva DuVernay's Inspiration for Making the Film

Eva DuVernay was inspired to take on the project of adapting Isabel Wilkerson's book, Cast, into a feature film despite being told it was unadaptable. She felt connected to the stories and characters in the book, which explore the idea that embracing the commonalities of our challenges can combat social ills. DuVernay used Wilkerson's life and work as the impetus for the movie and found parallels between her personal stories and the historical context of cast. With independent funding, she was able to bring the complex theories and social phenomena of cast to life in a narrative film.