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Poster for Descendant

Descendant

2022 · 111 min

A quiet, deeply moving documentary that connects past atrocities to present-day resilience, leaving you reflective and unsettled.

Directed by
Margaret Brown
Genres
Documentary, History
Starring
Kamau Sadiki, Emmett Lewis, Vernetta Henson
Tagline
The past is always present.
Overview
History exists beyond what is written. The Africatown residents in Mobile, Alabama, have shared stories about their origins for generations. Their community was founded by enslaved ancestors who were transported in 1860 aboard the last known and illegal slave ship, Clotilda. Though the ship was intentionally destroyed upon arrival, its memory and legacy weren’t. Now, the long-awaited discovery of the Clotilda’s remains offers this community a tangible link to their ancestors and validation of a history so many tried to bury.

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Stream in the UK
  • Netflix
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
Margaret Brown
Genres
Documentary, History
Starring
Kamau Sadiki, Emmett Lewis, Vernetta Henson
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • earneststrength 3 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • warmstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • race
  • memory
  • justice
  • identity
  • family
Places
  • small town
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • documentary
  • true story
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action1
Horror2
Humour1
Realism10
Romance0
Tension4
Darkness7
Complexity6
Emotional weight8

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Where to watch in the UK

Stream
  • Netflix

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
documentary, history
Directed by
Margaret Brown
Written by
Margaret Brown, Kern Jackson
Starring
Kamau Sadiki, Emmett Lewis, Vernetta Henson, Veda Tunstall, Joycelyn Davis, Willomina Davis, Mae Jones, Lorna Woods
Music
Dirk Powell, Raymond Angry
Runtime
111 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
Spanish, English

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