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Critics are raving about Barry Jenkins\u2019 latest film If Beale Street Could Talk<\/i>. It\u2019s the first English adaptation of a James Baldwin novel to hit the big screen, and the film is already receiving Oscar buzz. Last week, it premiered at Rome Film Fest where The Hollywood Reporter<\/a> spoke with Jenkins about Beale Street<\/i> and his upcoming projects. <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI think what Mr. Baldwin was trying to speak to in his book was this idea that black people have had very, very difficult lives going back to the history, the foundation of America, and probably the foundation of the world,\u201d Jenkins said to THR<\/i>. \u201cAnd yet somehow, despite all this pain and suffering that we\u2019ve had to endure, we still have joy, we still have love, and we still celebrate beauty despite that suffering. And I think in that joy, that celebration of life and beauty, we somehow find the strength to survive.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Jenkins also described how contemporary writer Ta-Nehisi Coates influenced him when it came to bringing Beale Street <\/i>to life. Coates, who Jenkins referred to as \u201cthe new James Baldwin,\u201d wrote about how black children are born into danger, and he wanted to express that sentiment in film. \u201cAnd so it\u2019s a natural instinct for the family to feel like, rather than giving the child freedom to go out, they have to protect that child. And I hadn\u2019t seen that in a film expressed in a very clear way,\u201d he said. <\/strong><\/p>\n Furthermore, he aspired to rewrite the narrative when it comes to how black families are portrayed in Hollywood. \u201cI think the sad part in this big, shocking thing to see is that we\u2019ve been presenting images of black people that show that they don\u2019t care about their children,\u201d Jenkins said. \u201cAnd that is just not the case. So I\u2019m glad to have found this book, to put imagery into the world that counters that lie.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n As far as new projects are concerned, Jenkins is currently writing a TV series adaptation based on Colson Whitehead\u2019s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Underground Railroad, <\/i>which he\u2019ll also direct. \u00a0\u201cThat book, in particular, is about a hero\u2019s journey,\u201d said Jenkins. \u201cThe hero just happens to be a black woman born into slavery. I haven\u2019t seen that story told before.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n Barry Jenkins\u2019 If Beale Street Could Talk <\/i>hits theaters nationwide on November 30th. The film stars KiKi Layne, Stephan James, and Regina King. Watch the poignant trailer below:<\/strong><\/p>\n