tonight, a conversation with the rector steve mcqueen. his latest film is based on the real-life experience of a free man that spent more than a decade as a slave after being kidnapped from his home in new york state. the movie is touted as a front- runner for major awards this year and is being referenced with other films like the butler , about the complexity of the african-american experience. we are glad you have joined us with director steve mcqueen. coming up right now. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. directoritish-born steve mcqueen decided to tackle the story of a freeman forced into slavery after being kidnapped from his home in new york state because he felt that the horror of slavery would told from anen african-american point of view. it is generating outstanding reviews and is touted as a front-runner. >> we get traveling. or we are going to die trying. survival is not about certain death, it is about keeping your head down. we are lost. i want to survive. i want to live. tavis: t

tonight, a conversation with the rector steve mcqueen. his latest film is based on the real-life experience of a free man that spent more than a decade as a slave after being kidnapped from his home in new york state. the movie is touted as a front- runner for major awards this year and is being referenced with other films like the butler , about the complexity of the african-american experience. we are glad you have joined us with director steve mcqueen. coming up right now. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. directoritish-born steve mcqueen decided to tackle the story of a freeman forced into slavery after being kidnapped from his home in new york state because he felt that the horror of slavery would told from anen african-american point of view. it is generating outstanding reviews and is touted as a front-runner. >> we get traveling. or we are going to die trying. survival is not about certain death, it is about keeping your head down. we are lost. i want to survive. i want to live. tavis: t

the director is steve mcqueen. >> thank you very much. tavis: that is our show for tonight. thank's for watching and as always, keep the faith. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with musician robbie robertson about his latest venture, a book about music changing the world. that is next time, we will see you then. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs. >>> coming up, many thousands of american prison inmates are locked up in solitary confinement sometimes for decades. luck luc lucky severson reports. >>> also, popular crime novelist james lee burke. he tells bob faw all western literature is about the search for salvation. >>> major funding for "religion and ethics newsweekly" is provided by the lilly endowment an indianapolis private family foundation, dedicated to its founders' interest in religion, communi communi communi community development and education. and the retirement company. >>> welcome, i'm bob abernethy

the director is steve mcqueen. >> thank you very much. tavis: that is our show for tonight. thank's for watching and as always, keep the faith. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with musician robbie robertson about his latest venture, a book about music changing the world. that is next time, we will see you then. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs. kevin: today on "ask this old house"... i'm going to turn up the heat on a vegetable garden in new mexico. man: we love chilies, we eat them all the time, but we just don't know how to grow them. this toilet's leaking, causing damage to the ceiling below. i'll fix it once and for all. and it's orange, it's plastic, and it has two handles. what is it? this is for getting kids interesting in landscaping. this is my first shovel. kevin: that's next on "ask this old house." any color. no, really. any color. and then... let's make it happen. the home depot is proud to support

it is to manage -- directed by filmmaker steve mcqueen. a film abouto make slavery because it was something which had not been much looked at before really in depth. it was just a gaping hole in film history. i thought i wanted to investigate, find out, look. in mcqueen'sity film is hard to bear. when it was first shown, several people reportedly walked out. michael fassbender, who plays a particularly sadistic plantation owner, maintains the abuse had to be shown. >> that is the reality of it. if we really wanted to do justice to solomon's story, who are we to decide where to censor? >> that view is endorsed by the director, who also believes the film is resonating strongly with audiences who have already seen it because it taps into concerns. >> i think people especially in the united states think about this quite often. to have an outlet, to have a vehicle for their voice i think has made the film a torch and a way. >> the film is already being talked of as a front-runner in the oscars race, even though the trophies will not be handed o

you would go to kabul and pull cable with his steve mcqueen. then i got the script and -- >> the concept is there was a man who was freed back in the 1800s and gets kidnapped and taken into slavery. was that -- i guess a unique circumstance based on a true story? >> solomon northrup was this man. actually, i met some of his t descendents last night. it was a common occurrence. at that certain time when slaves weren't being imported, any black body in the country was fair game. so people got sold into slavery all the time. rarely would they get back into their lives. it would be as if one of us would get snatched -- there are more slaves worldwide than there were in the slave era here. >> think of yourself getting snatched on your way home out of slavery, away from your family, everything. so that's what's amazing about this story, is that we take that journey with him. we can't really look at distance. when solomon did get back from his hard-won freedom, within four months he published this book, "12 years of slaves." it is a firsthand slave ac

it is to manage -- directed by filmmaker steve mcqueen. a fm about to make slavery because it was something which had not been much looked at before really in depth. it was just a gaping hole in film history. i thought i wanted to investigate, find out, look. in mcqueen'sity film is hard to bear. when it was first shown, several people reportedly walked out. michael fassbender, who plays a particularly sadistic plantation owner, maintains the abuse had to be shown. >> that is the reality of it. if we really wanted to do justice to solomon's story, who are we to decide where to censor? >> that view is endorsed by the director, who also believes the film is resonating strongly with audiences who have already seen it because it taps into concerns. >> i think people especially in the united states think about this quite often. to have an outlet, to have a vehicle for their voice i think has made the film a torch and a way. >> the film is already being talked of as a front-runner in the oscars race, even though the trophies will not be handed o

and so we we kept filming that over and over again and around the fourth of fifth taken with steve mcqueen's shoes he doesn't take long breaks between takes and i'm on the fourth or fifth time i looked about the sky and something came over me and for a quick second i got a glimpse into what it must have been like so much and sisters and. i broke down and i could not stop screaming and crying and i remember the still coordinator who was a white man he key got on the floor with me he cradled me in his almost in iraq he is going to say let it out it's ok let it out that it out and it was like bob i don't know how many seconds that that and that is to know i jumped up and i would say let's go. back to war as i can't wait to see that. and you must thank you that my son ten of the millions one of the stars of boardwalk empire not chat with michael's costar michael shannon right after this. crossed opera was in effect got into can jump in anytime you want. at the problem it was a problem very hard to take a look again at the among the flight pattern that had sat with the make their lives let's play

tonight, a conversation with the rector steve mcqueen. his latest film is based on the real-life experience of a free man that spent more than a decade as a slave after being kidnapped from his home in new york state. the movie is touted as a front- runner for major awards this year and is being referenced with other films like the butler , about the complexity of the african-american experience. we are glad you have joined us with director steve mcqueen. coming up right now. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. directoritish-born steve mcqueen decided to tackle the story of a freeman forced into slavery after being kidnapped from his home in new york state because he felt that the horror of slavery would told from anen african-american point of view. it is generating outstanding reviews and is touted as a front-runner. >> we get traveling. or we are going to die trying. survival is not about certain death, it is about keeping your head down. we are lost. i want to survive. i want to live. tavis: t

and so we we kept filming that over and over again and around the fourth of fifth taken with steve mcqueen's she was he doesn't take long breaks between takes and around the fourth or fifth time i looked about the sky and something came over me and for a quick second i got a glimpse into what it must have been like so much and sisters and. i broke down and i could not stop screaming and crying and i remember the still coordinator who was a white man he key got on the floor with me he cradled me in his office in iraq he is going to say let it out some kid let it out that it out and it was like oh i don't know how many seconds that that and then his do not jump off now that will he does go. back to the one that's going away to see that. thank you miles thank you that my hometown the williams one of the stars of boardwalk empire not chat with michael's costar michael shannon right after this. a. very hard day got. to get there. in that. regard right here. a little. overly broad if you are still good you know the price is the only industry specifically mention in the constitution and. that's bec

it is directed by steve mcqueen and stars michael fassbender and chiwetel ejiofor chit. >> at some point i wanted to make a movie that's labored and to me there was a whole in the cannon about this subject. it wasn't reference ed, it wasn't there for me. i wanted to sort of investigate that. i wanted to sort of find out about that in a way which wasn't sort of predicting all sort of putting away my stencil on this. >> rose: the political story in washington and a new movie called "12 years a slave. when we continue. captioning sponsored by rose communications from our studios in new york city, this is charlie rose. >> we are here. the government should be open. now we should be able to pay our debts and as we've said and will continue to say, we -- if that happens if-- will negotiate on anything, anything, and the president confirmed that today. >> rose: we begin today with a potential break through in the budget standoff. speaker boehner offered a six-week increase in the debt ceiling in exchange for opening negotiations on a long-term deal for tax reform and deficit reduction. >> so wh

join me next time for a conversation with director steve mcqueen about his new movie "12 years a slave." that is next time. we will see you then. ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs. >>> hello and welcome to this is us. i'm becca king reed and this week we're inside the pacific hotel part of san jose's history park. we're going to look at an exhibit called through my father's eyes. ricardo alvarado was a very talented photographer who took many photograph. his daughter janet found those photos after her father passed away. today we're going to share some of those photos and memories with you. and we'll also meet an incredible woman who is at the forefront of independence. and we're going

join me next time for a conversation with director steve mcqueen about his new movie "12 years a slave." that is next time. we will see you then. ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs. through the most populated region of the united states. a year later, people are still wondering, "how do we rebuild? where do we rebuild?" and in some cases, "should we be rebuilding at all?" we'll show you how three different sets of homeowners are answering those questions along the jersey shore and what it means for all of us and the future of building along the coast. norm: look at this! it's overwhelming. richard: the power of the water is just amazing. kevin: what is this community's future? it will be our house, just 10 feet off the ground. norm: look at that. we don't want to go through this ever again. i'm going to rebuild my entire house. kevin: you sound optimistic, but this is not going to be easy. or, on the wall. ready? let's take off. the home depot is proud to support "this old house" and doers everywhere. the home depot is prou

. >> i really think steve has made a master work here. >> jon: steve mcqueen, just a phenomenal filmmaker. >> powerful. it's not pulling any punches but it's not also trying to hype anything up. it is as it was. >> jon: do people stay away from you on set? i'm curious, some of the things that you have to do are obviously not only physically demanding. >> i couldn't go method on this one because -- [laughter] >> jon: i could see that that would be difficult. are they like let's go have an istea? >> sometimes -- an iced tea. >> sometimes, yeah. when you are dealing with heavy material it's nice and necessary to have light moments in between so it doesn't become all the time just so sort of heavy and you kind of get maybe a little bit sort of blinkered on it. the moments where you can find relief and respite you do. >> jon: you have read the script. when you are in it, when you watch it, does it have the power. i watched it. i may have -- there might have been some acrid dust in my office while i was watching it which created a certain -- i think an autonomic response. >> that and an onion.

join me next time for a conversation with director steve mcqueen about his new movie "12 years a slave." that is next time. we will see you then. ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs. >> funding for overheard with evan smith is provided in part by mfi foundation, improving the quality of life within our community. and from the texas board of legal specialization, board certified attorneys in your community. experienced, respected and tested. also by hillco partners, texas government affairs consultancy, and its global health care consulting business unit, hillco health. and by the alice kleberg reynolds foundation and viewers like you, thank you. >> i'm evan smith. he's a legendary political figure from a legendary political family who spent 22 years as the mayor of chicago. the longest serving chief executive in the history of one of america's great cities. he's the honorable richard m daley. this is overheard. ♪ >> mr. mayor, welcome. >> thank you. >> great to have you here and an honor to meet you. >> thank you very much

also up for grabs, big-screen costumes like this racy leather jacket sported by steve mcqueen in the 1971 classic film and this delicately embroidered wool dress worn by gwyneth paltrow in her oscar-winning role in the 1998 what buster "shakespeare in love your code -- blockbuster "shakespeare in love." . >> do stay tuned for the latest international news coming up. ♪ >> he debuts team a boost in the encounter with the croatians on thursday night. the 22-year-old made a bee line to the left. on 67 minutes he headed in the goal that led them to the top of the table. the spanish side reignited their qualification hopes. he provided a spark with a stunning effort on 50 minutes. hopes of remaining at the top of the group taking a dent. after day three, they are at the top of the table in the tightly contested group. the portuguese side slipped down. they will have a test against croatia in a fortnight's time. they have lifted themselves off the foot of the table with their first win in the campaign against cyprus. the french league was ahead after 24 minutes. it was equalized on 45 min

i knew working with steve mcqueen would be quite an experience. i have, what a tremendous filmmaker. >> i think he is exceptional and he was in this. and you sort of it in the end are trying to tell the story, the story was so amazing to me. and hi never heard a story leak it i had never seen a film look it. i had never been-- you know, something that is so inside this experience, inside the slave experience in this way. so moving to me. so day-to-day i guess if you are hoping anything, you are hoping in the end it's going to work out. but you are, i suppose you're just trying to be within it. and be-- weren't. >> and i imagine steve the director has to push you to go to certain places in your mind and in your heart that are impossible to probably place yourself into. but the range of emotion, the trials and triblations that this solman, who is a real individual, knows that this is based on his real diary of this experience. >> yeah. >> to go to those places. it must change you in some way. >> well, steve sort of allows it to happen, you know. he

we spoke recently to the film's director, steve mcqueen, and his cast. how did the story come to you? >> i had the initial idea of a free man who had been kidnapped into slavery. i talked to my wife who is a historian. she found this book. as soon as he she put it in my hand, i couldn't let it go. i couldn't believe i didn't know this book. she put it in my hand, i couldn't let it go. i couldn't believe i didn't know this boo she put it in my hand, i couldn't let it go. i couldn't believe i didn't know this booshe put it in my hand, i couldn't let it go. i couldn't believe i didn't know this book. what was strange was most of the people -- all of the people i spoke to had never read the book. for me it was a huge parallel to anne frank and her diaries. >> reporter: you describe it's the story of a man who is born a free man and becomes a slave. then the 12 years it took for him to find a way out of that. >> you black bastard. strip your clothes. strip. >> i will not. >> what is this film in its essence to you? >> to me, overall, this is a story about hum

>> rose: joining me now is the director steve mcqueen and two of the film's stars, michael fassbender and chiwetel ejiofor chit. i am pleased to have them at this table and i begin with you. tell me about the story and how you got it and what you wanted to do with it because it's a true story. >> well, it started possibly when -- i was asked the question recently, a question i'd never been asked before. when did you first encounter slavery? and i can never remember. as a child, as a person, all i could remember if anything was a sense of shame, a sense of, you know, embarrassment, really. and i think at that stage, you know, in life as a child you start off immediately asking questions about your environment because of that starting point. anyway, fast forward. at a certain point i wanted to make a movie about slavery because for me there was a whole in the cannon about this subject. it wasn't referenced, it wasn't there for me. i wanted to sort of investigate that. i wanted to sort of find out about that. n a way which wasn't sort of pre-predicted. all sort of putting my but actually

but the producer steve mcqueen says it is necessary. >> it is one you cannot separate. it is about mental torture and physical torture that you need to keep people in line, and there is no way that you can vent that from the film about slavery, otherwise, there is no film. >> reporter: films of slavery are rare, and last year jane ge un -- "jiang go unchained" and it looks for the relationships with god. >> he is someone who is active and alive in his spirit, and in his soul, and he is in that completely sort of unbreakable. ♪ well he was a preacher called ♪ ♪ and my bible said so too ♪ i said roll johnny roll ♪ roll johnny roll ♪ my soul arrives in heaven lord ♪ ♪ hallelujah ♪ roll jordan roll >> when solomon burst into song at some point, because he could cling on to it was alive and hope, and because if he didn't, he would lose his mind. this tells you how important, of course, religion was into keeping the people sane. ♪ my soul arrives in heaven lord ♪ ♪ for jordan rolls >> and songs like "sweet chariot" teaches about the experience of slave

you looked up to john wayne, steve mcqueen. my kid, 12 years old, wouldn't even think about cowboys. >> this is david manzanares. his family has lived here for generations, tracing their roots all the way back to the spanish conquistador. >> you know, those cliff walls out there, tony, are 160 million years old. the ones at the bottom, about 220. they're all the way back to the triassic area. >> and this is ghost ranch, next door to david's spread. this is the area where georgia o'keefe spent the last and most productive decades of her life. >> now you've walked into her painting. this is what she called "my country." you know, it wasn't until my early 20s that i even knew who georgia o'keefe was. grew up with her being like a grandmother. it took me going out to l.a. and going into a gallery out there. i saw all these paintings. like an idiot, i said why have you got pictures of my house? she said please, take a step back. that's georgia o'keefe's. it's just going to get prettier. it's just going to get prettier. >> one of o'k

you looked up to john wayne, steve mcqueen. my kid, 12 years old, wouldn't even think about cowboys. >> this is david manzanares. his family has lived here for generations, tracing their roots all the way back to the spanish conquistador. >> you know, those cliff walls out there, tony, are 160 million years old. the ones at the bottom, about 220. they're all the way back to the triassic area. >> and this is ghost ranch, next door to david's spread. this is the area where georgia o'keefe spent the last and most productive decades of her life. >> now you've walked into her painting. this is what she called "my country." you know, it wasn't until my early 20s that i even knew who georgia o'keefe was. grew up with her being like a grandmother. it took me going out to l.a. and going into a gallery out there. i saw all these paintings. like an idiot, i said why have you got pictures of my house? she said please, take a step back. that's georgia o'keefe's. it's just going to get prettier. it's just going to get prettier. >> one of o'k

i met steve mcqueen, phenomenal director. hunger and shame. we had talked about doing something in this area. we explored it. explored american history. but couldn't find something that really met the criteria what we wanted to talk about. his wife an historian, found the book, gave it to him. he read it. he passed it on to me. both thought it was phenomenal. the fact that i didn't know about the story. the fact that as much as i consider myself to be an educated american. and didn't know about this really speaks to how far i had fallen, it had fall in off everyone's consciousness. >> what's brilliant about it as a narrative device from modern day viewer is to watch some one go from freedom to bondage. which some how it draws something out of the modern viewer, easier to relate to that some one who is born into bondage? >> thing. people think i heard all the slave narratives you could possibly hear. the fact of the matter is, is that of course all of us are born free. that is a right that is delivered to all of us. under the laws at the time t