13th (2016)

This much needed documentary is very well done. It is a documentary for our contentious times. Ava Duvernay's direction is evident in the beautifully shot talking head interviews. They are sometimes in the traditional rule of thirds, and sometimes dead in the center staring straight down the camera. And they are accompanied by well-made, non-cheesy graphics.  She speaks to some of the most eminent scholars and activists to tell the story of African Americans. One of the scholars she features is Michelle Alexander and rightly so, because the film is essentially a film version of  her seminal work: "The New Jim Crow." I read that book in my sophomore year and it completely enlightened my outlook on race in America. What Duvernay adds to the conversation is the last six years of history, of damning evidence. Alexander's book was published in 2010. And to put it plainly, a lot has happened since then.