THERE were cheers, a good seven-minute standing ovation and not a hint of scandal Sunday night when Nate Parker’s “American Skin” had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.

The Venice audience gave a warm and raucous welcome to Parker and the new drama from the “Birth of a Nation” director. As with “Birth,” Parker wrote, directed and stars in “American Skin,” playing Linc, a black military veteran who, after his son is killed by police after a random traffic stop, seeks justice. When a grand jury refuses to prosecute the case, Linc takes the police hostage in their own station and stages a private trial to determine the offending officer’s guilt or innocence.

“You knocked it out of the park,” said director Spike Lee, who presented “American Skin” to the Venice audience and carried out a short Q&A with the director and cast immediately afterward.

Speaking about the themes of the film, Parker said he felt “hopeful and optimistic” the film would move people “to take action” to address the issues of police brutality.

It was a theme picked up by actor Theo Rossi, who plays a police officer in the film. “We need to start having nuanced conversations about these things, not 140 characters, not headlines, but real conversations,” he said.

“American Skin” has not been as warmly received by critics. The Hollywood Reporter complained the film indulged in “bullet-point didacticism” and “transparent emotional manipulation” in addressing the weighty issues of racism and police brutality.

Sunday’s premiere audience didn’t seem to mind. After the credits rolled, the crowd at the Sala Giardino theater jumped to their feet and stayed there for several minutes.

(SD-Agencies)