Atsushi Nishijima/NetflixAva DuVernay‘s Central Park Five limited Netflix series, When They See Us, has officially arrived, and the director wants fans to know they shouldn’t be hesitant to watch the powerful series because of its traumatic story.
“It’s about Black pain, but it’s also about Black triumph,” DuVernay tells Shadow and Act. “That’s the story of our history. If you don’t want to watch it, it’s good, fine with me. But I think running away from our history, running away from the realities of what so many of our brothers and sisters are going through and saying, ‘That’s too painful. I don’t want to watch it.’ I think, is challenging.”
Although DuVernay feels it’s important to “practice self-care” and limit what you watch and take in, the 13th filmmaker says it’s also critical that we don’t ignore our narratives.
“We need to ask ourselves: ‘Are we being lazy? Are we not looking at the things we should look at because it doesn’t feel good?'” she says. “And I’m not saying it in a way where it’s trauma porn, but do it with material that’s moving you forward in your thought process and your interrogation and your behavior around the criminal justice system.”
DuVernay also noted that watching the series would also serve as a teaching opportunity to “young black and brown people.”
“You teach them about their rights. You move us forward,” she says. “You make sure you know this story so it can’t repeat itself. I think there is a debate to be had there, but for forward-thinking people, who are able to watch this in a place of health and progress, it is important for us to know our history and this is a part of it.”
When They See Us is streaming now on Netflix.
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