But Harriet is the film that has had her fans at the edge of their seats. It a narrative the world has been hoping to see on the big screen for a long time. It depicts a part of the life of American abolitionist Harriet Tubman who travelled 100 miles in 1849 to the free state of Philadelphia to escape slavery, just to turn back around and make the same trip again at least 13 times to help her family and dozens of others become free. Harriet is an integral part of black history and many are stunned that this is the first major film to tackle her life story. Even this one took 25 years to reach us (with one person even suggesting Julia Roberts play the lead ). Nonetheless, Cynthia’s powerful depiction of Harriet is why she has been nominated for a Best Actress Oscar (and why she should’ve maybe been nominated for a BAFTA too).