This is a look at the city of Natchez in Mississippi which is reliant on the connection to the antebellum south, despite being one of the more progressive cities in the South (It was one of the first cities to have an openly gay mayor). As times have been changing the city's tourism as place with connections to the Confederacy has been dying off, as social change and the indifference of the younger generations to the past has left the city scrambling.
This is a really good film. I like how it begins with a portrait of the city and its Garden Club in a way we expect. We think its going to show us a city in love of the fallen south, but that view quickly gives way to the battle to change the history being told. People are telling the story of life in the city beyond the rich white folks. We hear of the lives of the slaves. And most interestingly we hear how the younger generations want nothing to do with the past. The city is not making money on tourism.
I was left pondering society, not just that of the American South but all of society. There is a lot to unpack here, and I'm still working on doing that.
Recommended.
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