Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs says people need to see "The Birth of a Nation" despite the controversy surrounding its director Nate Parker.
Issacs, 67, said she has not yet watched the film but she is sure that it is a movie that filmgoers should go and see, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
She has not seen the film but she told TMZ that "I know just by the conversation that has gone on at Sundance that it's clearly a movie that filmgoers should go and see."
In 1999, Parker and co-writer Jean Celestin were accused of rape by a female classmate. It was also revealed that the victim killed herself in 2012. Though Parker was acquitted, the case has come back to haunt him thanks to the buzz surrounding his movie.
When asked about the issue, Issacs said, "That's one issue, that's his personal issue. And then there's the issue of the movie.
"The important thing is for people to see it and enjoy the film, be impressed by the film. And I think that is what is very important. People need to see this movie," she added.
"The Birth of a Nation" is based on the story of Nat Turner, played by Parker in the film, who led a slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia in 1831.
It will hit the theatres on October 7.
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