Because our schools don’t teach it, and, in fact, bend over backward to dish out a version of the American story that ignores the role not only of Black Americans but also the as-yet unfinished fight for equality. How did we get here? Why is America like this? Why do police operate with such impunity when it comes to their horrendous, murderous treatment of Black people? What does it mean to talk about making changes? What, specifically, do we need to change? Many Americans - white people especially, but also some Black people, for reasons 13th delves into (spoiler: propaganda is very effective) - simply have no clue about racial history.
It transformed slavery while maintaining paradigms of racial superiority and the harnessing of Black bodies for maximum economic benefit to white stakeholders. It’s a terrifying moment, ripe for disaster with a sociopathic authoritarian like Trump at the wheel, but also a hopeful one: real change feels more possible now that it has at any time that I can recall in my life.Īmerica didn’t abolish slavery. And so, wholly justifiable righteous, angry, lockdown-defying protests demanding deep cultural change sprang up across the United States, and the whole planet, and are still ongoing, and getting bigger, as I write this. There have been lots of protests over similar deaths of Black Americans before - the shooting of Michael Brown by a cop in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, and the unrest that followed, seems to have been the prompt for DuVernay ( Selma) to make 13th, in fact.īut the deaths of Taylor and, particularly, Floyd (because: sexism, probably) appear to have been a last straw, perhaps because so much of what everyone has endured during the pandemic lockdown has demonstrated how arbitrary and ready to be upended our status quo was. A virus pandemic is disproportionately impacting people of color, and then comes yet more homicidal police violence against Black Americans: George Floyd and Breonna Taylor are but the latest in a very long line, many of whom have in recent years had their abuse and deaths caught on smartphone video and shared online for all to see in ways that hadn’t previously been as visible or obvious, at least to white Americans. An urgent question…įast forward to *checks watch* now, and this is a brutal and necessary watch. Many Americans were already terrified of what his rise boded for the future on numerous fronts, not least the open racism of American society, which would surely only get, seemingly impossibly, even worse.
(The very existence of the project came to light only when the New York Film Festival announced in July that year that this movie would open its program in September I first saw it that October at London Film Festival.) Donald Trump had not yet been “elected” President of the United States, but already, the shock of him ascending to the status of Republican nominee was unsettling.
Looking for more TV recommendations and discussion? Head over to our Facebook Group to see new picks every day, and chat with other readers about what they're watching right now.Ava DuVernay’s incisive and shocking documentary 13th hit like a body blow when she first unveiled it in the autumn 2016 film festivals. Readers can also donate to the UK anti-discrimination group Stand Up To Racism, and the Unite Families & Friends Campaign, which supports those affected by deaths in police, prison and psychiatric custody.ĭigital Spy now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
"Can't believe it's taken me this long to watch but 13th by is educational, shocking, painful and an absolute must-see," another said.ĭuVernay previously directed Martin Luther King biopic Selma, which is also available to stream for free in the US on YouTube, Apple and Amazon Prime.įor more information on how you can support Black Lives Matter, please visit its official website or donate here.
The documentary you NEED to watch right now, it's on Netflix - let Ava DuVernay educate you," one viewer also wrote recently. Can't believe I missed it in 2016 - disquieting, harrowing, scarily timeless but above all, *incredibly* informative. "Watched 13th for the first time last night. Related: 14 of the best films and documentaries to educate yourself on racism and Black oppression