Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman hits US theaters on the strength of the Grand Prix it won in Cannes last May. Produced by Jordan Peele (Get Out), it tells the improbable but true story of undercover cop Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first black policeman recruited by the Colorado Springs PD in the early seventies, who infiltrates the local branch of the KKK with the help of his white partner (Adam Driver). Lee’s film, which at times recalls the satirical parody of Peele’s Globe-nominated Get Out and mixes period set pieces, classic film clips and contemporary news archives, plays like a remix of the national psyche on issues of race. We spoke to Washington about the current relevance of the film and asked Spike why he wanted the film to premiere on the first-year anniversary of the Charlottesville “unite the right” riots.