THE MAURITANIAN - DIRECTOR KEVIN MACDONALD INTERVIEW

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You can now experience The Mauritanian available on VOD and on DVD.

Witness the astounding and inspirational true story of one man’s decades long fight for freedom and his relentless pursuit for justice in THE MAURITANIAN, available to own on Digital April 20, 2021, Video on Demand on May 4, 2021 and on Blu-ray™, DVD on May 11, 2021 from STXfilms and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Declared “triumphant” by Clayton Davis, Variety the political thriller is based on The New York Times best-selling memoir Guantánamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi and has been hailed as one of the most important and timely films of the year.

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Filled with deeply emotional and suspenseful moments from beginning to end, the “positively gripping” (Peter Debruge, Variety) film stars Academy Award® winner Jodie Foster (Silence of the Lambs, Contact, Inside Man) as Nancy Hollander, Slahi’s tenacious defense attorney turned ally and Tahar Rahim (A Prophet, The Past, The Eagle) as Slahi, who deliver deeply powerful performances that garnered a Golden Globe® Award for Best Supporting Actress in Motion Picture and a Golden Globe® nomination Best Actor in Motion Picture Drama. The acclaimed film has also been nominated for five BAFTA Awards including Best Film, Best Adapted Screenplay and Leading Actor. Combining masterful filmmaking with an unapologetic look at our justice system, THE MAURITANIAN on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital features exclusive bonus content including an alternate opening, deleted scenes and insightful featurettes that take viewers deeper into the gripping story of the power of courage and conviction against all odds.

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 Directed by Academy Award® winner Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, State of Play, Whitney), THE MAURITANIAN is based on the remarkable true story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s fight for freedom after being imprisoned without charges for years. As a battle for justice rages and shocking truths are revealed, Slahi proves that the human spirit cannot be locked up. Alongside Foster and Rahim, the captivating film features incredible must-see performances from the entire supporting cast including Academy Award® nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (Avenger’s Franchise, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Imitation Game),  Golden Globe® nominee Shailene Woodley (Divergent Franchise, “Big Little Lies”, The Fault in Our Stars) and Zachary Levi (Shazam!, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, Thor: The Dark World).

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Kevin MacDonald is a busy and talented filmmaker. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Kevin Macdonald has made numerous award winning documentaries, including One Day in September (Oscar® for Best Documentary in 1999); Touching the Void (BAFTA for Best British Film of the Year, 2003); Life in a Day (2011); Marley (BAFTA nominated in 2013); and Whitney (Official Selection, Cannes Film Festival 2018).

Kevin’s feature films include The Last King of Scotland (BAFTA winner for Best British Film of the Year and Oscar for Best Actor, Forrest Whittaker, 2006); State of Play (2009); How I Live Now (2014); and Black Sea (2016). Macdonald lives in London with his wife, Tatiana, and 3 children.

With the purchase of THE MAURITANIAN on Blu-ray™ or DVD, fans are eligible to earn points towards special rewards via the Universal All-Access Rewards program. Members can redeem their points for digital movies, signed collectables, box sets, win exclusive prizes and more! For FREE registration and details please visit www.MyUniversalRewards.com.  

 BLU-RAYTM, DVD & DIGITAL BONUS FEATURES:

  • Alternate Opening

  • Deleted Scenes

  • Behind the Scenes of THE MAURITANIAN – Get an inside look into the storytelling behind the real-life account of THE MAURITANIAN from cast and filmmakers and meet the extraordinary real people behind the gripping story.

  • A Look at Director Kevin Macdonald – Hear the cast and crew discuss what makes Director Kevin Macdonald the perfect person to bring this astounding tale of courage and conviction from the pages of Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s memoir to the screen.

 THE MAURITANIAN will be available on Blu-rayTM, DVD and Digital.

  • Blu-rayTM unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.

  • Digital lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.

I spoke with Director Kevin MacDonald about working on the film and his casting choices.