12 Years a Slave just won Best Picture at the 86th annual Academy Awards.
"Everyone deserves not just to survive, but to live," said director Steve McQueen during his acceptance speech — a quote from Solomon Northup, on whose 1853 memoir the film was based. McQueen finished the speech by dedicating the award to "all the people who have endured slavery, and the 21 million people who still suffer slavery today."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Irish election: what's at stake?Today's Big Question Weakened centrist coalition of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil parties may have to share power with conservative independents
-
Best UK literary festivals of 2025The Week Recommends From Hay and Cheltenham to Henley and Oxford, here are some of the year's top events for book lovers
-
Calin Georgescu: the 'Putin of Romania'In The Spotlight Far-right outsider sends shockwaves through Europe after surprise first-round win in Sunday's presidential election
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraudSpeed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strikeSpeed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
-
US economy still strong in final preelection reportSpeed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strikeSpeed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
-
Ports reopen after dockworkers halt strikeSpeed Read The 36 ports that closed this week, from Maine to Texas, will start reopening today
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homesSpeed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bidSpeed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
