Academy President: People Need to Watch 'Birth of a Nation' Despite Nate Parker's Rape Case

In light of the resurfacing of Nate Parker's past rape case, people such as Anthony Anderson have stood behind Parker and his upcoming film The Birth of Nation, while others have condemned Parker and have pulled support for the film. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Cheryl Boone Isaacs toldTMZ people need to set aside the rape case, calling it a "personal issue," and watch the film.

Boone Isaacs was asked about the American Film Institute's decision to cancel its Birth of a Nation screening, to which she responded: "That's one issue, that's his personal issue. And then there's the issue of the movie." She continued by emphasizing how “important” it is for people to watch Birth of a Nation. "The important thing is for people to see it and enjoy the film, be impressed by the film," Boone Isaacs said. "And I think that is what is very important. People need to see this movie." Despite not having watched the film herself, she said she knew its importance because of the conversation that stemmed from Sundance where the film won the Grand Jury Prize and became the highest selling Sundance film at $17.5 million. "People need to see the movie and judge the movie," she continued.

On Thursday, Penn State University alumni wrote a letter defending Parker and maintaining his innocence in the 1999 rape case for which he was acquitted. He and his Penn State roommate and Birth of a Nation co-writer Jean Celestin were accused of rape by a woman who was also a Penn State student. Celestin was convicted of sexual assault, but appealed the conviction and a retrial never took place. The alleged victim committed suicide in 2012.