'Selma' honors Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- An important chapter in American history comes to the big screen in the new drama, "Selma." The movie is based on the 1965 civil rights marches from the Alabama cities of Selma to Montgomery, led by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The film was co-written and directed by Ava DuVernay, who acknowledges parallels between the historical film and recent protests nationwide.

"I really tried to make a civil rights movie that I would be interested in and I don't really like civil rights movies. So I really tried to, you know, make something that was visceral and timely, and I think with what's going on in Ferguson right now, what's going on with the voting rights, you know it's something that's very current," DuVernay said. "The events in Selma are really on a continuum that we as Americans have to really look at, you know, seriously in order to create change. So hopefully this reminds people and gets some conversations going."

Oprah Winfrey helped produce "Selma" and also plays Annie Lee Cooper, a 54-year-old woman who tried to register to vote but was denied.

"The Oprah factor is a beautiful factor to have," DuVernay said. "Her warmth is just all over everything that we've done in this picture and it's been really fantastic to kind of move forward with her leading the way as a producer."

Before she started working as a film writer and director, DuVernay ran her own publicity firm that helped promote other people's independent movies. She's pitched me plenty over the years -- passionate for her clients' movies, and later, for her own small budget labors of love.

"Selma" is in theaters on Christmas Day.