A SPECIAL screening of a film celebrating the life of William Wilberforce, which is already earning rave reviews in the United States, has been held in the Yorkshire city where he was born and raised.
Church and community leaders, along with members of the Wilberforce family, packed a preview showing in Hull of Amazing Grace, the story of Wilberforce's campaign against the slave trade which he eventually won after a 20-year struggle.
The film,
starring Ioan Gruffudd as the abolitionist, Michael Gambon and Albert Finney as John Newton, a reformed slave ship captain and writer of the hymn from which the film takes its title, opens in the UK on March 23, coinciding with the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade.
President Bush was due to hold a special screening of the £15m film, directed by Michael Apted, at the White House at the weekend.
Hull Council leader Carl Minns, among those at the Yorkshire preview, said: "Wilberforce was an inspirational figure and Ioan Gruffudd gave a powerful and moving performance.
"The message from the film was 'follow your convictions' – be true to yourself and never give up.
"One member of the Wilberforce family, who was sitting next to me, was crying at the end of the film."
In its review the LA Times calls the story "inordinately moving".
Wilberforce, elected to the House of Commons as MP for Hull when only 21, is shown battling against the machinations of politicians, with supporting performances by Benedict Cumberbatch as William Pitt, his great friend, and the Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour as freed slave Olaudah Equiano.
Stunning locations were found in Dorset and Somerset emphasising Wilberforce's passion for nature while Gloucester was the setting for an authentic period set of the East India Docks.
There will be a special Parliamentary screening of the film for MPs on March 21.
