An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 32 wins & 46 nominations.
- See more »
Reviews:
Photos and Videos
Cast
| Melina Abdullah | ... |
Self - Chair, Pan-African Studies, California State University, Los Angeles
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| Michelle Alexander | ... |
Self - Educator and Author, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
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| Cory Booker | ... |
Self - U.S. Senator (D) New Jersey
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| Dolores Canales | ... |
Self - Formerly Incarcerated Activist / Co-Founder of California Families to Abolish Solitary Confinement
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| Gina Clayton | ... |
Self - Attorney and Founder, Essie Justice Group
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| Jelani Cobb | ... |
Self - Professor of African-American Studies, University of Connecticut
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| Malkia Cyril | ... |
Self - Executive Director of the Center for Media Justice
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| Angela Davis | ... |
Self - Professor Emerita, UC Santa Cruz
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| Craig DeRoche | ... |
Self - Formerly Incarcerated Activist / President, Justice Fellowship
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| David Dinkins | ... |
Self - 106th Mayor of New York City (D)
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| Baz Dreisinger | ... |
Self - Educator and Author, Incarceration Nations
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| Kevin Gannon | ... |
Self - Professor of History, Grandview University
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| Henry Louis Gates Jr. | ... |
Self - Professor of History, Harvard University
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| Marie Gottschalk | ... |
Self - Professor of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania
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| Newt Gingrich | ... |
Self - 50th Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate
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| Lisa Graves | ... |
Self - Executive Director, Center for Media and Democracy
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| Cory Greene | ... |
Self - Formerly Incarcerated Activist / Co-Founder, H.O.L.L.A.
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| John Hagan | ... |
Self - Professor of Sociology and Law, Northwestern University
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| Michael Hough | ... |
Self - Maryland State Senator (R), American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)
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| Van Jones | ... |
Self - Founder, #CUT50 / Founder & President, Dream Corps
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| David Keene | ... |
Self - Chairman 1984 - 2011, American Conservative Union
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| James Kilgore | ... |
Self - Formerly Incarcerated Author, Understanding Mass Incarceration
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| Glenn E. Martin | ... |
Self - Formerly Incarcerated Activist / Founder, JustLeadershipUSA
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| Marc Mauer | ... |
Self - Executive Director, Sentencing Project
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| Khalil Gibran Muhammad | ... |
Self - Professor of History, Race and Public Policy, Harvard University
(as Khalil G. Muhammad)
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| Pat Nolan | ... |
Self - Formerly Incarcerated Activist / SVP, Prison Fellowship
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| Grover Norquist | ... |
Self - Board Member, Americans for Tax Reform
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| Dorsey Nunn | ... |
Self - Executive Director, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
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| Liza Jessie Peterson | ... |
Self - Incarceration Activist and Educator
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| Charles Rangel | ... |
Self - Congressman (D), New York 13th District
(as Charles B. Rangel)
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| Kyung-Ji Rhee | ... |
Self - Center for Nu Leadership on Urban Solutions
(as Kyung-Ji Kate Rhee)
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| Rashad Robinson | ... |
Self - Color for Change
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| Shaka Senghor | ... |
Self - Formerly Incarcerated Activist / Director of Strategy, #CUT50
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| Bob Sloan | ... |
Self - Independent Investigative Journalist
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| Deborah Small | ... |
Self - Attorney and Founder, Break the Chains
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| Bryan Stevenson | ... |
Self - Attorney and Author / Founder, Equal Justice Initiative
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| Ken Thompson | ... |
Self - District Attorney - Brooklyn, New York
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| Nicholas Turner | ... |
Self - President, Vera Institute of Justice
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| Daniel Wagner | ... |
Self - Investigative Reporter, Buzzfeed
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Joe Atkins | ... |
Self - Minnesota (DFL) (archiveFootage)
(as State Rep. Joe Atkins)
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| Lee Atwater | ... |
Self - Campaign Strategist to Ronald Reagan (archiveFootage)
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| Tom Brokaw | ... |
Self - Host, NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw (archiveFootage)
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| Kalief Browder | ... |
Self - Inmate Held Without Trial, 2010 - 2013 (archiveFootage)
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| Carolyn Bryant | ... |
Self - Wife of Roy Bryant (archiveFootage)
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| Roy Bryant | ... |
Self - Acquitted of Lynching Emmett Till (archiveFootage)
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| George Bush | ... |
Self - 41st President of the United States (archiveFootage)
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| George W. Bush | ... |
Self - 43rd President of the United States (archiveFootage)
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| Jimmy Carter | ... |
Self - 39th President of the United States (archiveFootage)
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| Philando Castile | ... |
Self - Murdered by Police (archiveFootage)
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| Bill Clinton | ... |
Self - 42nd President of the United States (archiveFootage)
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| Hillary Clinton | ... |
Self - 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidate (archiveFootage)
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| Stephen Colbert | ... |
Self - Host, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (archiveFootage)
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| Walter Cronkite | ... |
Self - Host, CBS Evening News (archiveFootage)
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| Richard Allen Davis | ... |
Self - Convicted Murderer (archiveFootage)
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| Bob Dole | ... |
Self - Former U.S. Senator (R-KS) (archiveFootage)
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| Sam DuBose | ... |
Self - Murdered by Police (archiveFootage)
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| Michael Dukakis | ... |
Self - 1988 Democratic Presidential Candidate (archiveFootage)
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| John Ehrlichman | ... |
Self - Chief Domestic Advisor to Richard Nixon (archiveFootage)
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| Gerald Ford | ... |
Self - 38th President of the United States (archiveFootage)
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| Eric Garner | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Steve Gottwalt | ... |
Self - Minnesota (R) (archiveFootage)
(as State Rep. Steve Gottwalt)
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| Oscar Grant | ... |
Self - Murdered by Police (archiveFootage)
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| Freddie Gray | ... |
Self - Murdered by Police (archiveFootage)
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| Fred Hampton | ... |
Self - Chairman, Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party (archiveFootage)
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| Eric Courtney Harris | ... |
Self - Murdered by Police (archiveFootage)
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| Jason Harrison | ... |
Self - Murdered by Police (archiveFootage)
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| Thom Hartmann | ... |
Self - Progressive Political Commentator (archiveFootage)
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| Marc Lamont Hill | ... |
Self - Huffington Post Live (archiveFootage)
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| Willie Horton | ... |
Self - Convicted Murderer (archiveFootage)
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| Peter Jennings | ... |
Self - Host, ABC Nightly News with Peter Jennings (archiveFootage)
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| Lyndon B. Johnson | ... |
Self - 36th President of the United States (archiveFootage)
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| Sharanda Jones | ... |
Self - Received Mandatory Minimum Sentence of Life in Prison on First Offense (archiveFootage)
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| Martin Luther King | ... |
Self - Civil Rights Leader (archiveFootage)
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| Polly Hannah Klaas | ... |
Self - Murder Victim (archiveFootage)
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| Ed Koch | ... |
Self - 105th Mayor of New York City (archiveFootage)
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| Rachel Maddow | ... |
Self - Host, The Rachel Maddow Show (archiveFootage)
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| Malcolm X | ... |
Self - Civil Rights Leader (archiveFootage)
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| Trayvon Martin | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Laquan McDonald | ... |
Self - Murdered by Police (archiveFootage)
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| Zebulon Miletsky | ... |
Self - Author, Before Busing: Boston's Long Freedom Movement in the 'Cradle of Liberty'
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| Mamie Till Mobley | ... |
Self - Mother of Emmett Till (archiveFootage)
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| Richard Nixon | ... |
Self - 37th President of the United States (archiveFootage)
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| Barack Obama | ... |
Self - 44th President of the United States (archiveFootage)
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| John Oliver | ... |
Self - Host, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (archiveFootage)
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| Rick Perry | ... |
Self - Governor of Texas 2000 - 2015 (R) (archiveFootage)
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| Dan Rather | ... |
Self - Host, CBS Evening News with Dan Rather (archiveFootage)
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| Nancy Reagan | ... |
Self - Former First Lady (archiveFootage)
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| Ronald Reagan | ... |
Self - 40th President of the United States (archiveFootage)
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| Harry Reasoner | ... |
Self - Journalist, 60 Minutes (archiveFootage)
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| Diamond Reynolds | ... |
Self - Partner Murdered by Police (archiveFootage)
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| Tamir E. Rice | ... |
Self - Murdered by Police (archiveFootage)
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| Ronnie C. Rouse | ... |
Self - Film and Music Producer
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| Bernie Sanders | ... |
Self - U.S. Senator (I-VT) (archiveFootage)
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| Assata Shakur | ... |
Self - Member of Black Panther Party & Black Liberation Army (archiveFootage)
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| Emmett Till | ... |
Self - Victim of Lynching (archiveFootage)
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| Donald Trump | ... |
Self - New York City Real Estate Businessman (archiveFootage)
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| Jerry Watson | ... |
Self - Chief Legal Counsel, American Bail Coalition (archiveFootage)
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| Paul Weyrich | ... |
Self - Co-Founder, ALEC (archiveFootage)
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| Larry Wilmore | ... |
Self - Host, The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore (archiveFootage)
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| George Zimmerman | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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Directed by
| Ava DuVernay | ||
Written by
| Spencer Averick | ... | (written by) |
| Ava DuVernay | ... | (written by) |
Produced by
| Spencer Averick | ... | producer |
| Howard Barish | ... | producer (produced by) |
| Mercedes Yolanda Cooper | ... | associate producer |
| Ben Cotner | ... | executive producer |
| Adam Del Deo | ... | executive producer |
| Ava DuVernay | ... | producer (produced by) |
| Danny Hirsch | ... | associate post producer |
| Tilane Jones | ... | co-producer |
| Michael Nell | ... | associate producer |
| Lisa Nishimura | ... | executive producer |
| Jason Sterman | ... | executive producer |
| Tessa Treadway | ... | Post Production Executive |
| Angus Wall | ... | executive producer |
Music by
| Jason Moran | ... | (music by) |
Cinematography by
| Hans Charles | ... | director of photography |
| Kira Kelly | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Spencer Averick | ||
Editorial Department
| Lauren Dellara | ... | title sequence editor |
| Hoppy Hopkinson | ... | editor |
| Alex Ivany | ... | assistant editor |
| Zach Marshall | ... | assistant editor: EPK |
| Chris Riley | ... | on-line editor |
| Paul Yacono | ... | digital intermediate colorist |
Makeup Department
| Shawntay Fisher | ... | key makeup artist |
| Jacob Geraghty | ... | key makeup artist |
Production Management
| Christiana Hooks | ... | post-production supervisor |
| Al Smith | ... | production supervisor |
Sound Department
| M. Scott Blynder | ... | sound |
| Scott Blynder | ... | additional sound mixer |
| Tim Boggs | ... | supervising sound editor |
| Noyan Cosarer | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Dwayne Dell | ... | sound mixer |
| Craig Henighan | ... | additional mixing |
| Jesse Johnstone | ... | sound recordist |
| Alex Lee | ... | sound effects editor |
| Matt Miller | ... | additional re-recording mixer |
| Jeffrey Perkins | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Fred Runner | ... | sound recordist: San Francisco/Oakland |
Visual Effects by
| Leanne Dare | ... | art director |
| Jamie McBriety | ... | post producer |
Camera and Electrical Department
| James Allen | ... | Gaffer San Diego |
| Nick Berry | ... | electrician |
| Bliss Bussant | ... | key grip: New York |
| Tom Cherry | ... | assistant camera |
| Jay Coakley | ... | dolly grip: San Francisco/Oakland |
| Andrew Crighton | ... | swing: New York |
| Christine Hodinh | ... | first assistant camera: Los Angeles |
| Ja-Mar Jones | ... | key grip |
| Sammy Leonard | ... | first assistant camera: New York |
| J. Carlos Lopez | ... | key grip: San Francisco & Oakland (as Carlos Lopez) |
| David Magnum Garza | ... | gaffer: San Francisco/Oakland (as David Garza) |
| Chris Mariles | ... | first assistant camera: Washington, DC |
| Gordon McIver | ... | gaffer |
| Cisco Rivera | ... | gaffer: San Francisco/Oakland |
| Megaera Stephens | ... | first assistant camera: San Francisco/Oakland |
| Na Thirakomen | ... | gaffer: New York |
| Travis Williams | ... | grip: San Diego |
| Mike Wilson | ... | gaffer |
| Danny Wollenberg | ... | gaffer: Washington DC / grip |
Animation Department
| Ekin Akalin | ... | animator |
| Frank Lin | ... | animator |
| Dan Meehan | ... | animator |
Music Department
| Tera DuVernay | ... | music supervisor |
| Julie Pearce | ... | music editor |
| Petr E.C. Rice | ... | additional music |
| Lise Richardson | ... | music editor |
Additional Crew
| James W. Arrington | ... | production assistant |
| Kate Coe | ... | archival research and clearances |
| Katy Crain | ... | production assistant |
| Tera DuVernay | ... | Lead Researcher |
| Eric Feig | ... | production: legal |
| Joe Heth | ... | production assistant |
| Alex Ivany | ... | archival footage researcher |
| Matthew A. Jacobs | ... | legal counsel |
| Roxanne Mayweather | ... | archival research and clearances |
| Joshua Nowak | ... | production assistant |
| Jen Pray | ... | archival clearances |
| Jonathan Segal | ... | clearance & legal services |
| Jodi Tripi | ... | archival clearances |
Thanks
| Robyn Aronson | ... | special thanks |
| Rand Holston | ... | special thanks |
| Bill Jacks | ... | special thanks |
| Carolyn Javier | ... | special thanks |
| Franklin Leonard | ... | special thanks |
| Jonathan Mussman | ... | special thanks |
| David Oyelowo | ... | special thanks |
| Roya Rastegar | ... | special thanks |
| Denise Sexton | ... | special thanks |
| Tessa Treadway | ... | special thanks |
| Ben Weiss | ... | special thanks |
| Berry Welsh | ... | special thanks |
| Oprah Winfrey | ... | special thanks |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Dogwoof (2016) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Netflix (2016) (Germany) (video) (VOD)
- Netflix (2016) (Singapore) (video)
- Netflix (2016) (United Kingdom) (video) (VOD)
- Netflix (2016) (World-wide)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- A52 (digital intermediate)
- Elastic (graphic design & animation by)
- Endcrawl.com (end titles made with)
- Eric Feig Entertainment & Media Law (Legal)
- Eric Feig Entertainment & Media Law (Production Legal)
- HUB International Insurance Services (insurance)
- Media Services (payroll services)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
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. Written by Ulf Kjell Gür |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | From slave to criminal with one amendment See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | The filming locations and production design of the interviews, with brick walls and industrial equipment, represent labor that, according to DuVernay, "has been stolen from black people in this country for centuries." See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in 13th: A Conversation with Oprah Winfrey & Ava DuVernay (2017). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Letter To The Free See more » |
| Quotes |
Bryan Stevenson:
The Bureau of Justice reported that one in three young black males is expected to go to jail or prison during his lifetime, which is an unbelievably shocking statistic. See more » |