Based on the autobiography by Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery, “12 Years as a Slave” is an award-winning film directed by Steve McQueen.

Despite the controversy surrounding the film for portraying the violence highlighted in Northrup’s original book, the film has bee widely praised, particularly for the acting by its stellar cast which includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfre Woodard, Brad Pitt and Quvenzhané Wallis.