Film has been a powerful tool since its inception, changing the way humans experience and think about life. Additionally, films such as documentary films bring attention to many social problems and issues. Documentaries bring about social change when they capture the public's attention. Documentaries use powerful images to emotionally engage viewers with reality and truth. Ava DuVernay's documentary 13th investigates the issue of mass incarceration in the United States, the history of racism, and the mistreatment and criminalization of African Americans. By using the practical method of visual images to capture the audience's emotional response, producers can strengthen the argument that racism has affected society yesterday, today and tomorrow. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayAva DuVernay, in her film, The 13th, uses real-life footage of moments where African Americans are mistreated due to police brutality. This evidence highlights the ugliness of social injustice in an authentic and emotional way. Throughout the film, Ava DuVernay includes footage of past and recent events related to the case being presented. Many clips are heartbreaking, upsetting and can elicit strong reactions from viewers. For example, early in the film, many clips show African Americans being mistreated during the civil rights era. The film includes footage of black protesters, black students, or simply black individuals being yelled at, shoved, attacked, or arrested by police. It is alarming to see the film show horrific details of this injustice. Another captivating assortment of sequences takes place at the end of the film, with clips from more recent eras. There is footage of black protesters at one of Donald Trump's rallies being pushed around and verbally harassed, primarily by white men. The film compares the film with the black and white images of the past where a black man was oppressed by a group of white men during the civil rights period and African American protesters being harassed or oppressed. The similarity of the two examples creates a connection between the treatment of black individuals in the past and the treatment of these individuals in today's society. Another montage of 13th grade footage at the end, with a sequence that includes original clips of police brutality cases. There are plenty of clips showing police officers abusing their power over black people through the use of extreme force. Sometimes this includes the use of weapons by law enforcement, which in most cases resulted in the deaths of African Americans. Intense footage shows a black man being held down by multiple police officers as he repeatedly says, "I can't breathe." Another footage shows a black man sitting in his car as a police officer approaches the car and shoots him from the window. There have been too many scenes of African Americans being shot by police officers not to question the cruelty of hatred and discrimination. If these scenes are painful to watch, one extract from the film particularly stands out, that of the funeral in an open casket of Emmett Till. Estimated around sixty years ago, a magazine published photos of the disfigured and decomposed body of a 14-year-old African-American man. , Emmett Till, who shook communities across the country. The images placed in the film were essential to the truthful revelation of Till's murder. Emmett Till's mother Mamie held an open funeral.