The Birth of a Nation (2016) Trailer

The controversial period drama The Birth of a Nation — which borrows its title from the equally questionable 1915 silent — has its first official trailer after being picked up by Fox Searchlight when it won the awards of Jury Prize and the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Directed by Nate Parker, it follows the life of African-American slave Nat Turner (Parker himself), who is educated to preach to his fellow slaves. Seeing the scope of slavery, he led a slave rebellion in 1831 that resulted in the deaths of, at least, fifty white people and the killing of over 200 black people by white militias and mobs.

The Birth of a Nation also stars Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Penelope Ann Miller and Gabrielle Union.

It’s expected to hit theaters in America on October 7th.