Distributor apologises for ‘Slave’ poster

The Italian distributor of the film 12 Years A Slave has apologised for promotional posters attacked as racist for prominently featuring Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender, despite their relatively minor roles, and not the film’s star, Chiwetel Ejiofor.

BIM Distribuzione said in a statement yesterday the “inappropriate materials have been withdrawn” and expressed “regret any distraction this incident may have caused.” BIM said the new posters feature only Ejiofor, who has been nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal of a freed black man who is abducted and sold into slavery.

The distributor said the posters featuring Pitt and Fassbender were aimed at “giving wide representation of what is told in the film itself”.