Review: ‘Descendant’ pays powerful witness to the legacy of the slave ship the Clotilda
‘Descendant’ takes an unflinching look at an incident in which the crew of a slave ship was treated so shabbily that it remains a stain on U.S. history.
‘Descendant’ takes an unflinching look at an incident in which the crew of a slave ship was treated so shabbily that it remains a stain on U.S. history.
Aired Jan. 3, 2010; 20:00-21:00 ET
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The Clotilda.
Viewers can see the impact slavery and the transatlantic slave trade had on the U.S.
The episode, which documents the slave ship, the Clotilda, while in the Mediterranean Sea, was captured by the U.S. and the United Kingdom, who later transported the slaves to North America. When the Clotilda, captained by Captain James L. Smith, refused to continue, the crew was sold off in the slave trade.
“Descendant” is directed by Joe Berlinger, an openly gay screenwriter on whose film “Wedding Crashers” came out in the summer of 2008. The film traces his journey to get gay friends in and out of Hollywood who would become his surrogate mother and father. The film was partially financed by gay activist David and Lynn McBride, who wanted to make movies that would resonate with other gay people.
In addition to the screenwriter, Berlinger directed the film in a way that reflected his views and experiences. He didn’t just look at his own life when writing the screenplay, he also looked at his gay friends’ life.
“I did this film because I was angry at how we’ve been treated for so long, not by God, but by our own government which said, ‘Well, we’re gonna be there. We’re gonna take care of you.'”
Berlinger shared his thoughts about “Descendant” with The Hollywood Reporter.
The Clotilda was a slave ship captained by James
