Ava DuVernay Announces ‘14th,’ A Documentary About Birthright Citizenship In America

Ava DuVernay

Ava DuVernay Announces ‘14th,’ A Documentary About Birthright Citizenship In America

Ava DuVernay is returning to documentary filmmaking with a project tackling one of the most debated constitutional issues in America today.

The acclaimed filmmaker announced that her new Netflix documentary, 14th, will explore the history and modern-day impact of the 14th Amendment, the constitutional provision that established birthright citizenship and guaranteed equal protection under the law following the Civil War. The amendment, ratified in 1868, states that nearly anyone born in the United States automatically becomes a U.S. citizen.

The documentary arrives amid renewed national debate over birthright citizenship after President Donald Trump sought to limit the constitutional protection through executive action during his second term. The issue quickly sparked legal challenges and ultimately landed before the Supreme Court.

Netflix says 14th will serve as a follow-up to DuVernay’s critically acclaimed 2016 documentary 13th, which examined the legacy of slavery and mass incarceration through the lens of the 13th Amendment. This time, the filmmaker is turning her attention to citizenship, belonging, and who gets recognized under the law.

“If 13th asked who gets caged, then 14th asks who gets counted,” DuVernay said in a statement announcing the project. She added that the film is less about revisiting history and more about examining “what kind of country is being written beneath our feet now.”

According to Netflix, the documentary will feature politicians, historians, and cultural figures discussing how the 14th Amendment evolved into what DuVernay describes as “a permanent argument” in American life. 14th is expected to premiere later this year.