Pathe
UK has released the first trailer for A United Kingdom, Amma Asante's
(“Belle”) upcoming historical drama starring BAFTA nominee David
Oyelowo and Oscar nominee .
Based
on a true story, A United Kingdom tells the story of “Seretse
Khama (Oyelowo),
the king of Bechuanaland (modern Botswana), and Ruth Williams (Pike),
the London office worker that he married in 1948 in the face of
fierce opposition from their families and the British and South
African governments.”
Opening
in theaters on November 25, A
United Kingdom also stars Tom Felton, Jack Davenport, Terry Pheto,
and Laura Carmichael.
A
UNITED KINGDOM is based on extraordinary true events. In 1947,
Seretse Khama, the King of Botswana, met Ruth Williams, a London
office worker. The attraction was immediate: she was captivated by
his vision for a better world, he was struck by her willingness to
embrace it.
Both
felt liberated by the social upheaval that followed the war –
Seretse sensed the opportunity for change as the Empire weakened,
Ruth saw the possibility for a “bigger life” as women pushed for
independence and equality.
They
were a perfect match, yet their proposed marriage was challenged not
only by their families but by the British and South African
governments. The latter had recently introduced the policy of
apartheid and found the notion of a biracial couple ruling a
neighboring country intolerable.
South
Africa threatened the British: either thwart the couple or be denied
access to South African uranium (vital for the British nuclear
program) and gold (vital to replenish reserves following the war) and
face the risk of South Africa invading Botswana.
Despite
the terrible pressures they faced, Seretse and Ruth never wavered –
they fought for their love every step of the way, and in so doing
changed their nation and inspired the world.
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