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“From time to time I come across a work that speaks to the tumultuous events of the day, bringing clarity and a new way of seeing to the chaos and confusion. A Crime on the Bayou is one of those works. This film speaks directly to the issues in front of us – White Supremacy, individual bravery, the rule of law, democracy. But its heartbeat is the profound alliance between a Black teen on trial, and his young Jewish attorney. This allyship is what moved me the most.”
A CRIME ON THE BAYOU
US | 89 min. | 2020 | English
DIRECTOR: Nancy Buirski
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: John Legend
PRODUCERS: Nancy Buirski, Susan Margolin and Claire Chandler
“Required viewing… infuriating and inspiring” - Reel News Daily
SYNOPSIS
"A Crime on the Bayou" is the story of Gary Duncan, a Black teenager from Plaquemines Parish, a swampy strip of land south of New Orleans. In 1966, Duncan tries to break up an argument between white and Black teenagers outside a newly integrated school. He gently lays his hand on a white boy’s arm. The boy recoils like a snake. That night, police burst into Duncan’s trailer and arrest him for assault on a minor. A young Jewish attorney, Richard Sobol, leaves his prestigious D.C. firm to volunteer in New Orleans. With his help, Duncan bravely stands up to a racist legal system powered by a white supremacist boss to challenge his unfair arrest. Their fight goes all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, and their lifelong friendship is forged.
AVAILABILITY
Community screenings through our partners at Bullfrog Films.
FESTIVALS
DOC NYC, Hamptons Doc Fest, New Orleans Film Festival, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.
Gary Duncan (right) and Richard Sobol (left)