What Happened When Selma Was Screened in Ferguson

While Selma brings history to life on the big screen, offscreen something else has been happening. In cities all over the country, real-life marches have made headlines and history of their own, including the protests and unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, in the wake of Michael Brown's shooting by a police officer.

Before Selma was released in theaters, it was screened in Ferguson for a group of 50 activists. The film's director, Ava DuVernay, says this was done with a very clear intention. "It was really to serve the people on the ground," she explains. "Just to really offer, you know, the tactics that were used historically."

Then, 10 minutes before the screening ended, the grand jury decision relating to another case—Eric Garner's choking death at the hands of a New York policeman—was handed down. Watch as Ava describes the reaction among the group and what we can all learn from the civil rights leaders who came before us.

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