13th (2016)

An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.

Director:

Ava DuVernay

Writers:

Spencer Averick, Ava DuVernay

Stars:

Melina Abdullah, Michelle Alexander, Cory Booker

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 29 wins & 44 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Melina Abdullah	...	Herself - Interviewee
Michelle Alexander	...	Herself - Interviewee
Cory Booker	...	Himself - Interviewee
Dolores Canales	...	Herself - Interviewee
Gina Clayton	...	Herself - Interviewee
Jelani Cobb	...	Himself - Interviewee
Malkia Cyril	...	Herself - Interviewee
Angela Davis	...	Herself - Interviewee
Craig DeRoche	...	Himself - Interviewee
David Dinkins	...	Himself - Interviewee
Baz Dreisinger	...	Herself - Interviewee
Kevin Gannon	...	Himself - Interviewee
Henry Louis Gates	...	Himself - Interviewee (as Henry Louis Gates Jr.)
Marie Gottschalk	...	Herself - Interviewee
Newt Gingrich	...	Himself - Interviewee

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

prison | greed | discrimination | civil rights | prisoner | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Crime | History

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 October 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

The 13th

Filming Locations:

West Oakland Amtrack Station, Oakland, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kandoo Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

D-Cinema 48kHz 5.1

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

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."

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Katie Holmes/Marc Maron/Shania Twain (2017)

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Soundtracks

Behind Enemy Lines
Written by Mutulu Olugabala (as Lavon Alford) and Stic Man (as Clayton Gavin)
Performed by Dead Prez (as dead prez)
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Important documentary

This documentary shines a very bright light on two fundamental issues going on in our country. The power of money and it's influence on profitable incarceration and ultimately perpetual slavery. I think it did a fabulous job of being virtually opinion free and making a point to stay focused on facts. That said, I think you have to be open to the information. By that, whether you lean right or left, it's best to digest this documentary with an open mind free of your own political thoughts and opinions.

It's foundation is about slavery and how it plays a role in modern events. It suggests that slavery never went away, it merely reinvented itself to "keep up with the times", always having financial gain being the catalyst for it's continued existence. It really shines when it presents it's case on how mass incarceration is today's slavery. The direct correlation between labor based slavery of yesteryear and labor based incarceration of today is frightening in regards to similarity. You can deny it if you choose to, but if you continue to do so after seeing this presentation, then it's simply because you deny fact.

When Colin Kaepernick protested the flag, though I'm a black man, I was offended by his stance. After watching this documentary however, I look at his point of view with a different lens. I don't entirely agree with his approach, but I have to admit that oppression in this country is still very alive and well. I think too many people look at oppression in traditional views like slavery and the holocaust. But in my opinion, you have to appreciate oppression as the complexity that it is, in order to acknowledge it's existence. Again this documentary does an excellent job of making that case. I won't delve too deep into why, I would just simply recommend watching it.

Word of caution however. This documentary doesn't pull it's punches. It's very dark, very disconcerting regarding politics and if it hits you right, it will make you angry and sad all at once. My two children stayed in the forefront of my mind while watching this, and my heart bled for them throughout, seeing what kind of world that awaits them. I tried to be optimistic about light being brought to this issue in such a well put together way, but I believe that we as a country, still have a ways to go, seeing that someone like Trump could get so close to being President.

Overall, this documentary is very important and should be seen by everyone able. Whether you lean right or left, you cannot deny some of the dirty deals made by politicians to keep their pockets lined via profitable incarceration. Real change needs to happen without question, but this documentary drives home the point that as long as "the almighty dollar" rules, don't expect much change anytime soon.