We land in Natchez, a Southern city in the USA, where a group of people offers us two views of its past: on the one hand, a form of tourism nostalgic for Antebellum aesthetics (pre–Civil War), showcasing the wealth and traditions of the well-off families of that era; on the other, a tourism that explores the past of the city that once had the second-largest enslaved population in the country, and how it has attempted to clean up and bury this part of its history.
Suzannah Herbert, the director of the documentary, chooses to follow a group of memorable individuals to build a discourse that, without the need for overt guidance, places structural racism and the legacy of slavery in direct contrast with the titanic task undertaken by those fighting against the loss of memory and the spread of disinformation. Winner of the Best Documentary Feature Award at Tribeca, the film ultimately delivers a powerful twist, demonstrating just how easily the present can be manipulated to construct a lie.
Credits
Year: 2025
Runtime: 86′
Country: USA
Direction: Suzannah Herbert
Screenplay: Suzannah Herbert, Pablo Proenza
Cinematography: Alejandro Mejía
Subtitles: Alejandro Mejía
Genre: Documentary
Contact: Filmin
Wins & nominations
2025 | Tribeca Film Festival | Best Documentary Feature, Special Jury Mention for Editing and Cinematography
2025 | National Board of Review | Top 5 Documentaries
