Ava DuVernay To Make History With Premiere Of Her Latest Documentary At The New York Film Festival 

Filmmaker extraordinaire Ava DuVernay is gearing up to grip audiences yet again with the debut of her latest documentary at the upcoming New York Film Festival.

Cleverly titled The 13th in reference to the constitutional amendment abolishing slavery, Ava’s latest project illustrates the contradiction of the law as it relates to the issue of mass incarceration, particularly focusing on the disproportionate number of African-American men in the U.S. prison system. 

The documentary is said to confront the issue through combined historical footage from the Civil Rights Movement and Klu Klux Klan rallies, intertwined with visuals from modern-day movements like Black Lives Matter. Ava says the vilification of African-Americans is too often presented by high ranking officials under the false narrative of keeping the country “safe.“ 

“A certain part of our population has been demonized for the benefit of private industry and politicians, and a lot of forces that have nothing to do with, quote, ‘keeping people safe,’” she said in an interview with The New York Times. “Once you know why we’re here and how we got here, we’re on more solid footing to walk ourselves out of this deep valley that we found ourselves in. That’s the hope.”

The premiere of The 13th at the New York Film Festival this fall will reportedly mark the first time ever that a nonfiction film has kicked off the event.

WANT MORE FROM ESSENCE? Subscribe to our daily newsletter for the latest in hair, beauty, style and celebrity news.