American slavery as told through four generations. Digital HD Year 2016 Video Release 2016-08-23 Studio Lionsgate Genre TV Miniseries MPAA Rating Not Rated Color Color Runtime 383 Animated Live-Action Full Synopsis ROOTS TM recounts one family's struggle to resist American slavery. The gripping story is told through four generations, from the capture of Kunta Kinte in Africa to his transport to Colonial America in brutal conditions through successive generations fighting to win their freedom in the Civil War. Based on Alex Haley's best-selling novel which has resonated with millions of Americans, ROOTS TM reveals powerful, universal truths about the resilience of the human spirit. Director Bruce Beresford Cast Bruce Beresford; Forest Whitaker; Anna Paquin; Laurence Fishburne; Jonathan Rhys Meyers; James Breaux; Newton James Hippolyte Jr.