Ava DuVernay’s Netflix film ’13th’ reveals how mass incarceration is an extension of slavery.
Slavery technically ended over 150 years ago. But Ava DuVernay wants you to take another look at the amendment that abolished it. Her documentary “13th” is a powerful look at how the modern-day prison labor system links to slavery. The film, which premieres on Netflix and in select theaters Friday, offers a timely and emotional message framed by the upcoming election and the Black Lives Matter movement.
“13th” received a standing ovation last week at the New York Film Festival, where it became the first documentary to open the prestigious festival. The title refers to the 13th amendment, which formally abolished slavery. But DuVernay zeroes in on the amendment’s exception clause, which states that slavery and involuntary servitude are illegal “except as a punishment for crime.”
In an interview with The Washington Post, DuVernay said she initially sought to make a documentary that explored “the idea that there are companies making millions of dollars off the punishment of human beings.” But the documentary inevitably turns to current conversations about the criminal justice system and the fatal police shootings of African Americans. “As I delved into [the prison labor industry], I found that you couldn’t fully tell that story without giving it historical and cultural context,” said DuVernay. The cultural context is Black Lives Matter — a clear theme in “13th” even before the movement is directly referenced.
The documentary features commentary from a range of experts including The New Yorker’s Jelani Cobb, civil rights activist Angela Davis, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates, Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), former Obama administration official Van Jones and conservative tax reform advocate Grover Norquist.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/10/06/ava-duvernays-netflix-film-13th-reveals-how-mass-incarceration-is-an-extension-of-slavery/
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