DESCENDANT
Documentary Feature | 109 minutes

HIFF 2022

 World Cinema Documentary

Directed by
Margaret Brown

Produced by
Essie Davis, Kyle Martin, Dr. Kern Jackson, Ahmir ''Questlove'' Thompson

Written by
Margaret Brown, Dr. Kern Jackson

2022 | English | USA

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Margaret Brown (THE GREAT INVISIBLE, HIFF 2014) returns to her hometown of Mobile, Alabama, to document the historic search for The Clotilda, the last known ship illegally carrying enslaved Africans to arrive in the United States in 1860. After a century of secrecy and speculation, the long-awaited discovery of the remains of the ship puts the spotlight on the descendants of Africatown as they actively fight to preserve their heritage and seek justice. A moving and layered contemplation of a community taking control of their legacy, DESCENDANT thoughtfully examines the interplay between memory and evidence, and questions how history is passed and is preserved. A Netflix release.