Charles Burnett

Culture critic and historian Elvis Mitchell traces the evolution — and revolution — of Black cinema from its origins to the impactful films of the 1970s.

The acclaimed documentary about Nat Turner’s slave rebellion in Virginia in 1831 and the harsh civil rights losses and mob reprisals that followed.

As the government-appointed protector of our cinematic legacy, the National Film Registry selects culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant works for preservation in the Library of Congress. Through interviews with Registry board members, archivists, and notable filmmakers, they demonstrate the way film documents artistic and societal milestones.