A compelling documentary that tracks government policy and approaches from the moment the 13th amended freed African-Americans from slavery to the current mass incarceration of predominantly people of colour.
Directed by Ava Duvernay, who also directed the Martin Luther King biopic Selma, the film posits a powerful argument that begins with the 13th amendment to the American constitution which freed people from slavery.
From the first frame, it was obvious this was going to be a documentary that told a particular story. But the argument it puts forward is backed by some critical facts and some undeniable truths that left an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach.
The documentary structure steps through periods of US government policy – from the abolition of slavery up to the current situation where prisons have been privatised and are big business, and where one in four African Americans are in prison. With each chapter, we see the rising prison population.