Ava DuVernay's Doc '14th' to Feature New Song for Oscars

Director Ava DuVernay is returning to the New York Film Festival with a powerful new documentary that expands upon her critically acclaimed examination of the United States Constitution. Her latest nonfiction film, "14th," has been selected as the prestigious closing-night presentation for the festival. Alongside the film's premiere, it has been exclusively revealed that the project will feature a brand-new original song entitled "Makings of Tomorrow." The track is written and performed by renowned artists Brittany Howard and Robert Glasper, adding a significant musical element to the cinematic endeavor. Netflix is preparing to mount an aggressive awards campaign for the feature, submitting the documentary for consideration in the best documentary feature category while also pushing the Howard and Glasper collaboration for original song recognition.

The documentary acts as a conceptual sequel of sorts to DuVernay's seminal 2016 film "13th," which notably also opened the New York Film Festival just weeks before the presidential election of Donald Trump. While the previous film focused on the Thirteenth Amendment and its connection to mass incarceration through constitutional loopholes, "14th" turns its analytical lens toward the Fourteenth Amendment. This amendment established foundational American tenets including birthright citizenship, due process, and equal protection under the law. Nearly a decade after her last deep dive into constitutional history, DuVernay investigates how these fundamental principles are currently facing unprecedented pressure and public debate in modern American society.

To unpack these complex legal and social themes, DuVernay speaks with a diverse array of scholars, politicians, and legal experts. The film features insights from notable figures such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Representative Anna Paulina Luna, legal scholars Sherrilyn Ifill and Robert Chang, voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, and social commentators like Donald T. Critchlow and Hasan Piker. Through these conversations, the documentary examines who truly gets to belong in America, the ongoing political fights surrounding birthright citizenship, and the amendment's specific prohibition preventing individuals who engage in insurrection from serving as heads of state. The inclusion of artistic voices like Brittany Howard and Robert Glasper through "Makings of Tomorrow" is expected to elevate the emotional resonance of DuVernay's investigative narrative as it prepares to enter the competitive awards season.