13th
dir. Ava DuVernay · 2016
Plot
The film begins with the idea that 25 percent of the people in the world who are incarcerated are incarcerated in the U.S. Although the U.S. has just 5% of the world's population. "13th" charts the explosive growth in America's prison population; in 1970, there were about 200,000 prisoners; today, the prison population is more than 2 million. The documentary touches on chattel slavery; D. W. Griffith's film "The Birth of a Nation"; Emmett Till; the civil rights movement; the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Richard M. Nixon; and Ronald Reagan's declaration of the war on drugs and much more.
Why watch
"13th" is a powerful documentary that unflinchingly examines the intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in America, urging viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about systemic oppression. With its compelling blend of historical footage and contemporary analysis, it serves as both a wake-up call and a call to action.