Filmmaker Ava DuVernay releases 14th Amendment documentary 14th on Netflix
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The gist
Ava DuVernay's documentary 14th, on the 14th Amendment, premieres on Netflix on Dec 4.
It follows her 2016 film 13th and ties the amendment to citizenship fights.
Background
Ava DuVernay is an Academy Award nominee and Emmy, BAFTA and Peabody winner whose films include Selma, 13th and A Wrinkle in Time, and who founded the film collective ARRAY. Her new documentary 14th is described as a sequel of sorts to 13th, her 2016 film about the amendment that abolished slavery, and examines the 14th Amendment — ratified in 1868, it codified birthright citizenship and guarantees due process and equal protection — and its resonance today. The film arrives as birthright citizenship has been targeted by the Trump administration, which is cited as context for the amendment's relevance.
How it unfolded
- Aug 9, 2026DuVernay announced a Netflix documentary on the 14th Amendment, which gave liberty and rights to formerly enslaved people after the Civil War.
- Sep 8, 2026It was reported that 14th would premiere on Netflix in December.
- Oct 12, 2026DuVernay appeared at a Screen Talk at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, discussing her career, 14th and the state of Hollywood.
- Oct 28, 2026DuVernay attended the Airbnb.org Gala at Milk Studios in Los Angeles and spoke to Variety about the midterm elections.
- Nov 5, 202614th opened SFFilm's 12th annual Doc Stories festival at the Vogue Theatre in San Francisco, where DuVernay introduced the film.
- Nov 6, 2026The Public Theater announced Public Forum: 14th with Ava DuVernay for Dec 1 at The Town Hall, in partnership with Netflix and Freedom Together Foundation.
- Nov 27, 202614th was due out in a limited theatrical release.
- Dec 1, 2026Public Forum: 14th with Ava DuVernay was scheduled at The Town Hall, concluding with a conversation with Alicia Keys.
- Dec 4, 202614th premieres on Netflix.
Key terms
- 14th Amendment
- Constitutional amendment adopted in 1868 granting citizenship rights and equal protection under the law.
- birthright citizenship
- Citizenship acquired automatically by being born in a country's territory or to citizen parents.
- Reconstruction
- The period after the American Civil War when the former Confederate states were reintegrated and slavery's aftermath addressed.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- DuVernay
- She said the people who opposed Reconstruction fought the idea of a new America with violence and patience, and warned that those dismantling protections are 'making plans,' urging people to make their own.
- DuVernay
- On the midterms she said 'either way we're in trouble,' expecting an outsized reaction from the administration whichever way the results go, and urged people to know their rights as citizens.
- SFFilm
- Executive Director Anne Lai said that while such documentaries have been in the works for years, they speak to a zeitgeist and are a snapshot of history in the making.