Producer Scheduled to Appear
This Sundance award-winning documentary follows the ancestors of the survivors of the Clotilda, a ship that brought captive Africans to Alabama more than 50 years after slavery was illegal in the U.S. Q&A with co-writer/co-producer Dr. Kern Jackson to follow.
Descendant follows Africatown, a small community in Alabama where residents share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America. The ship's existence, a centuries-old open secret, is subsequently confirmed by marine archeologists. [119 min; documentary; English]
A Q&A with co-writer/co-producer Dr. Kern Jackson and Isaiah Green (PhD candidate, Dept. of Folklore and Ethnomusicology) will follow the screening. This event is co-sponsored by the Center for the Study of Global Change.
"An act of documentary journalism aimed at keeping African-American history alive." — Josh Larsen, LarsenOnFilm
"We meet so many people in Descendant who could be the primary subjects of their own documentaries, and Brown deftly peels back the layers of all of their stories and makes them heard." — Adam Kempenaar, Filmspotting
"Brown weaves together a tight, deeply resonant narrative, entrenching a crucial piece of Black history into the public record—a piece of Black history that’s in danger of slipping away forever." — John Serba, Decider
Any film screened at IU Cinema may contain content that viewers find sensitive or upsetting. Visit our Audience Advisories page to learn more.
