Selma is a 2014 historical drama film directed by Ava DuVernay and written by Paul Webb. It is based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches led by James Bevel,^[5][6] Hosea Williams, Martin Luther King Jr., and John Lewis. The film stars actors David Oyelowo as King, Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon B. Johnson, Tim Roth as George Wallace, Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King, and Common as Bevel.

A crowd of some 40,000 people watched as Mr Obama and his family led a symbolic walk across part of the bridge, accompanied by those who had made the march in 1965.  This was during his Presidency

Selma premiered at the American Film Institute Festival on November 11, 2014, began a limited US release on December 25, and expanded into wide theatrical release on January 9, 2015, two months before the 50th anniversary of the march. The film was re-released on March 20, 2015 in honor of the 50th anniversary of the historical march.

Selma received critical acclaim, with particular praise given to DuVernay’s direction and Oyelowo’s performance, though it was met with some criticism for its historical inaccuracies, largely centered on the perceived vilification of Johnson and the omission of several prominent Jewish civil rights leaders. The film was nominated for Best Picture and won Best Original Song at the 87th Academy Awards. It also received four Golden Globe Award nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director and Best Actor and won for Best Original Song.^[7]

Additional reading

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Islam!