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Fresh Air Weekend: Ava DuVernay on 'Origin'; Understanding social media algorithms

Ava DuVernay describes her new movie <em>Origin, </em>which is<em> </em>based on Isabel Wilkerson's book<em> Caste, </em>as "a film about a woman in pursuit of an idea."
Emma McIntyre
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Getty Images for Academy Museum
Ava DuVernay describes her new movie Origin, which is based on Isabel Wilkerson's book Caste, as "a film about a woman in pursuit of an idea."

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

With 'Origin,' Ava DuVernay illuminates America's racial caste system: Based on Isabel Wilkerson's book Caste, DuVernay's film draws a line between India's caste system, the hierarchies of Nazi Germany and the historic subjugation of Black people in the United States.

How social media algorithms 'flatten' our culture by making decisions for us: Filterworld author Kyle Chayka examines the algorithms that dictate what we watch, read and listen to. He argues that machine-guided curation makes us docile consumers.

You can listen to the original interviews and review here:

With 'Origin,' Ava DuVernay illuminates America's racial caste system

How social media algorithms 'flatten' our culture by making decisions for us

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