Nearly a decade after 13th sparked conversations about mass incarceration and the legacy of the 13th Amendment, Ava DuVernay is returning to Netflix with another documentary examining a foundational piece of the U.S. Constitution.
Later this year, the award-winning filmmaker will debut 14th, a documentary that shifts its focus to the amendment that established birthright citizenship and equal protection under the law. Through conversations with historians, legal scholars, elected officials and cultural commentators, the film examines why the 14th Amendment remains at the center of some of the nation’s most consequential debates.
According to Netflix, 14th asks audiences to consider how an amendment written in the aftermath of the Civil War continues to shape the country today.
The official synopsis reads, “Written in the wreckage of the Civil War, the 14th Amendment was meant to close the door on the hierarchy of human worth. Instead, it has become a permanent argument. Ava DuVernay’s 14th pulls this constitutional fight out of the footnotes and into the present, chronicling the vicious battle over the amendment that has raged for over 150 years. Threading deep archival scholarship with piercing headlines of today, 14th brings together legal minds, politicians, historians and cultural voices in direct conversation with a question America still hasn’t settled: Who gets to belong?”
The documentary features more than 50 interviews conducted by DuVernay, bringing together voices from across the political and ideological spectrum. Participants include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, former Sen. Jeff Flake, Sen. Alex Padilla, Sherrilyn Ifill, Robert Chang, Stacey Abrams, Donald T. Critchlow, Hasan Piker, and Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Eric Foner and David Blight.
Ava DuVernay says ’14th’ asks a different question than ’13th’
For DuVernay, 14th expands on themes she explored in 13th while turning its attention to questions of citizenship, equality and belonging.
“If 13th asked who gets caged, then 14th asks who gets counted. This is not a film about the past tense of freedom. I’m not interested in asking you to look back. The film asks what kind of country is being written beneath our feet now… while we’re busy believing the stories we’ve all been told,” DuVernay said in a statement.
Netflix’s Vice President of Documentary Film and Series, Adam Del Deo, said the new film builds on the impact of DuVernay’s previous documentary.
“Ava’s remarkable ability to bring history into conversation with the present made her last documentary, the seminal BAFTA-winning and Academy Award-nominated 13th, a cultural touchstone of the last quarter century. With 14th, she delivers another ambitious and thought-provoking documentary with the depth, artistry, and humanity that have come to define her work. We’re proud to continue our creative partnership with Ava and bring this powerful film to audiences around the world.”
When will ’14th’ be released?
Netflix has not announced a premiere date for 14th, but the documentary is set to debut later this year.
The film is directed by DuVernay and produced by DuVernay, Spencer Averick, Tammy Garnes and Paul Garnes for ARRAY.