Fear and Joy as Alabama Town Readies for Free Screenings of Film ‘Selma’

Reporter II January 3, 2015

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This photo released by Paramount Pictures shows, from left, foreground: Colman Domingo as Ralph Abernathy, David Oyelowo as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., André Holland as Andrew Young, and Stephan James as John Lewis in a scene from the film, "Selma," from Paramount Pictures, Pathé, and Harpo Films. (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, Atsushi Nishijima)

Martin Luther King III and wife Arndrea Waters attend the premiere of "Selma" at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) — Martin Luther King III and wife Arndrea Waters attend the premiere of “Selma” at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Jonathan Kaminsky, REUTERS

SELMA, Ala. (Reuters)—Residents of Selma, Alabama, will next week be offered free screenings of “Selma,” a Golden Globe-nominated film some locals welcome as the telling of an important civil rights-era story while others fear it could harm the downtrodden city’s image.

The film, which portrays events surrounding civil rights protests in the town in 1965 led by Martin Luther King Jr., will be shown courtesy of Paramount Pictures starting Jan. 9 and run through the month at the Selma Walton Theater.

Starring David Oyelowo as King, the film has generated Oscar buzz but also accusations of historical inaccuracy around the role of then-President Lyndon Johnson, a civil rights proponent who is depicted opposing the marches.

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