a review of 第十三修正案

9/28: 13th (Netflix) I decided to follow up Selma with Ava Duvernay's documentary 13th, which I think might be the best, and hopefully most life-changing documentary I see all year. It's a really strange thing, to feel like I was basically informed on all of the individual truths about discriminatory policing, the myth of black criminality, the deplorable excesses of our justice system, and the utter monstrousness of for-profit prisons. But Duvernay synthesizes all of these hard facts into an utter condemnation of the modern American system that set me back on my heels in a way that I didn't expect. To echo takes that I've seen from others online: This movie should be required viewing for anyone interested in present-day social justice movements, as well as for anyone who still doesn't fully understand the meaning of Black Lives Matter. It won't necessarily change the minds of the least-receptive among us, but I think it could shed some necessary light for those who are just now becoming aware of the real problems in our culture. An unqualified five stars.