Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (2000)

In 1931 on a train from Chattanooga, a fight broke out between young Black and white passengers. When the train later stopped in Alabama, two white women accused the Black teenagers of raping them on the train. Despite a lack of evidence, it would take three separate trials, a recanting by one of the women, and many years spent on death row before all nine of the men were no longer in prison. It’s an incredible tale of injustice carried out by the American justice system and the documentary does a good job detailing the process these young men were forced to go through. The details are a little sparse regarding the actual event that led to the arrests, but it’s a minor nitpick on what is likely a common story that is only different in the fact that the accused lived to tell their tale.

Oscar Nomination: Best Documentary, Features