Film Study and Online Discussion of Ava DuVernay's '13th'
13th, Ava DuVernay’s critically-acclaimed 2016 documentary about the racial injustices in the criminal justice system, “compels viewers to sit upright, pay attention” and face the disturbing truths behind 150 years of history. It is a film that provides the complex context desperately needed in a social-media age of cell phone clips, hashtags, and headlines. As the last few days have shown, these injustices are being laid bare before us and must be confronted and addressed.
When I first saw the film several years ago, I was deeply moved but simultaneously unsure how to move, how to translate what I saw, felt, and experienced. How does the individual respond to such a massive institutional and cultural grievance?
For me, that response eventually occurred through education as I shared the film with my 11th grade students and introduced them to the critical race theory lens during our social commentary unit. Due to its mature subject matter, I also reached out to their parents for permission and offered an alternative assignment (analyzing an excerpt from Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me). Reading and hearing my students reactions to the film confirmed that this was a vital narrative missing in their education. They were grateful to see such a powerful film and to discuss it in a safe space.
Today, I would like to share that transformative experience with you and to again create that safe space via a virtual discussion to be held between June 19th and June 26th. The Seven C’s of Learning will be our guide to ensure that our study of the film achieves both breadth and depth and provides the analytical framework needed to examine such complex issues.
Each virtual discussion will consist of an invite-only one hour Zoom meeting and be limited to approximately 20 participants whom I know directly or who were referred by a friend. The exact date and time of each meeting will be announced mid-June and invitations to join the video call will be sent via email (please sign up below). While the discussion will surely be a valuable part of the learning process, you are also welcome to download the Seven C’s study guide and analyze the film without attending the online meeting.
Watching a film like 13th can be difficult. It can be hard to find the emotional and mental energy needed to process the heartbreaking scenes and vast historical arc. But DuVernay is a masterful storyteller and the 30+ interviewees in this film elucidate and illumine as they guide the viewer.
Shortly after the film came out, Ava DuVernay explained,
“After you see 13th, silence in this case is consent… You can’t just walk out into the night after you see the movie or put down your iPad after you see it on Netflix and do nothing about it. I’m not saying you have to join a march. I’m not saying you have to push for legislation. I’m saying what this film talks about is the very way that we deal with each other in the everyday. It’s about our relationship to each other as it deals with race. So there’s a lot there to be done... I want people to be having their own conversation about it. That’s my great hope.”
See the film, complete the study guide, and come join the conversation.
Watch the first few minutes and you’ll immediately recognize the importance of seeing this film.
Lastly, here’s The Seven C’s study guide for 13th (you can print it out or work on it in Google Docs). It may look daunting but don’t be intimidated! This is not a homework assignment and you won’t be graded! Simply do as much as you can with the time that you’ve got. When we gather together, we will orally review each section and through our collective efforts, we will achieve a breadth and depth of understanding.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Feel free to reach out: bryan@sevencslearning.com
I look forward to learning with you and from you and I humbly offer this initiative in the spirit of love, brotherhood, and hope for the future.
-Bryan
13th Film Study Update
The film study was a great success with nearly 100 individuals signing up. Five Zoom discussions were held in June and early July and participants were inspired to continue their learning by watching additional films like True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight for Equality, I Am Not Your Negro, and When They See Us, and by reading texts like How to be an Anti-racist, The New Jim Crow, Between the World and Me, and White Fragility. Here are a few reflections from some of the participants:
The Seven C’s of Learning framework was “very helpful in examining the topic and for approaching complex concepts and ideas.”
"I watched the movie and thought I was ready to discuss it. Then I reviewed your guide and realized I had only a surface understanding. I watched it again in light of the guide and came away with a richer understanding, based upon a deeper engagement.”
“I appreciated having this framework - pushing me to interpret this documentary, that I had seen before, with a new mindset and lens to digest the piece's themes.”