America has an extremely tumultuous relationship with its past. It seems like we’re reminded of this daily via social interactions, politics, and the news. One area of the country specifically sees more turbulence than the rest, with many still longing for “the good ol’ days”.
As someone who’s lived a bit of everywhere in this country, I can tell you the animous that exists in the South is incomparable to anywhere in the U.S. The Mississippi Delta region has faced a long string of challenges that date back to slavery, but sadly, still exist today. The inequality and economic disparities of the region are just a handful of topics covered in the Tribeca Festival film Natchez.
The film takes place in Natchez, Mississippi, a place adorned with antebellum homes and hoop skirts to commemorate a past that was glorious for some and painful for others. The town, which used to be a cotton gold mine, now survives on tourism, with its biggest draw being the Spring Pilgrimage. Twice a year, people come from all over the world to see relics from the past: plantation homes.
Tracy McCartney shares her perspective on the small town of only 14,000 as she tries to wear her antebellum dress without assistance. Being a white woman in the South, her experience in Natchez is drastically different than Tracy’s. Yes, there are two. The other Tracy (aka Rev), a Black man, is a preacher, former county commissioner, and local tour guide. A straight shooter who tells the truth regardless of your comfort, his “Rev’s Country Tours” offers an experience that other tour groups can’t (and some simply refuse to) provide.
Both Tracy and Rev share the town’s humble beginnings before growing into a cotton goliath. We learn that, for better or worse, the Pilgrimage Garden Club is responsible for saving the town. Rev tells his tour guests that he refers to the members of the club as the “Blue Haired Mafia”.
Debbie is the first African American member of the Pilgrimage Garden Club, which has historically been an all-white organization. She owns a former slave dwelling and uses it for tours, telling stories of the enslaved as opposed to their masters.
Another tour guide, David, relishes the past and is quick to share all the benefits that slavery brought to the region and his family. He’s an interesting character and probably the most polarizing of the bunch. Battling health problems and good sense, he brazenly continues his tours at the expense of his health and his reputation.
Natchez is truly a town at a heightened modern-day crossroads. Some people want to move forward, while others are fine with things as they are. People like mayor Dan M. Gibson and Kathleen Bond, at the Natchez National Parks Service (reinvigorate Forks of the Road slave market), are all for the progress of the town. Then there are locals like Gene, whose business stands in the way of the Forks of the Road project, who don’t believe in the project and question why that side of history should be remembered.
The film does an excellent job balancing the oddball, racist ideologies of some locals with the unified direction of others. This is the type of documentary you share with friends because of the power it wields. You show it in schools to let the kids know the past can be scary and full of pain, but that past doesn’t determine your future; you do.
Natchez gets a 9.5 out of 10. The film is enjoyable and educational. It’s very easy to fall in love with both Tracys, and they eventually cross paths in the film. It’s an excellent documentary with great direction and memorable subjects. After hardship and pain, it’s still possible for something beautiful to come from it. That’s the meaning behind “beauty for ashes“. Together, Natchez can navigate the tough road ahead and build a future that can accommodate everyone.
SCHEDULE:
Monday, June 09 – 8:00 PM Village East by Angelika
Tuesday, June 10 – 6:15 PM Village East by Angelika
Saturday, June 14 – 6:15 PM Village East by Angelika
Natchez premieres on Monday, June 9, at 8:00 PM at the Tribeca Festival.
*Update* Oscilloscope Laboratories’ new documentary titled NATCHEZ will open exclusively in Atlanta on November 7, 2025, at the Tara Theatre for an Academy-qualifying run.
-Jon Jones
Photo: Noah Collier
Category: Documentary
Country: USA
Director: Suzannah Herbert
Runtime: 1 hr 26 mins
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: June 6