A new Harriet Tubman film chronicles the difference one person can make.
Photo by Glen Wilson / Focus Features
Harriet, released to theaters Nov. 1, stars Cynthia Erivo as the famed abolitionist Harriet Tubman. It was filmed entirely in central Virginia—near Petersburg and Richmond, as well as in Caroline, Mathews, and Dinwiddie counties.
“Virginia owns one of the largest collections of period backlot materials and props,” says Virginia Film Office director Andy Edmunds. “We often market ourselves to films that require a historical backdrop because we have such riches in that regard.”
Directed by Kasi Lemmons and distributed by Focus Features,
Harriet tells the story of Tubman’s work on the Underground Railroad. It repurposed many of the sets used for projects such as Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, HBO’s John Adams mini-series, and AMC’s series TURN: Washington’s Spies.
In partnership with Virginia Tourism, the Virginia Film Office will also be developing a Harriet Tubman trail, which will highlight locations shot during the production of the film, as well as sites with historical significance to Tubman and her work.
“It was an honor to be involved in a project that has such resonance,” Edmunds says. “Harriet Tubman is such a heroic figure in American history. Shooting this film in Virginia was one of those transformative experiences of storytelling that seemed bigger than the work at hand. There was so much talent on the ground and behind the camera.”
This article originally appeared in our October 2019 issue.
