Written by Madisyn Welborn. Photo courtesy of IMDb.
Margaret Brown brings audiences the full story of the last known slave ship to arrive in the U.S., The Clotilda, and a community’s hunt for the ship’s remains in “Descendant.” The film highlights members of the Africatown community in sharing stories of their history, searching for the Clotilda with the assistance of National Geographic, and the government systems affecting the community’s health. Simultaneously, light is shed on an unfamiliar experience to many African American people: the ability to directly pinpoint where they come from. There’s no shying away from the presence of white privilege, supremacy and savior complexes in the hunt for the Clotilda. Through reactions and resources, the place of power is prevalent and its majority is not held by the descendants.
During the Q&A, Brown shared the importance of recognizing that Africatown’s fight is a current fight, not a historical one. Reparations do not come easy and the monetization of this story is at risk of proving that once again. I had the honor of speaking privately with Brown after the Q&A and asked what inspired her to bring the film to SCAD Film Festival. We spoke about Savannah’s history of being a slave port and Brown’s views from a director’s standpoint. “When you make a film, you make it to be artistic,” she said. “You want it to be powerful. You want it to be emotional, but you also want people to take something away. I find student audiences are often the ones who really go actually do something.” After watching the film, I was surely inspired to make a change, and if you are as well, head to descendantfilm.com where you can get involved in Africatown’s fight for the right future.
Photos by Ashton Melton.
