Must See: Filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s “When They See Us” Debuts On Netflix

In 2012, Ken Burns made the documentary called THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE. WAMG’s Melissa Thompson wrote how the film told of the story of five black teenagers who were arrested in 1989 for the brutal beating and rape of a woman jogger in New York’s Central Park .

“What followed was one of the worst miscarriages of justice anyone could ever imagine. Starting with the New York City cops who interrogated the boys (who were minors, mind you) without parents or lawyers present, to the media, who created a mob-mentality screaming with bloodlust, with their tabloid headlines and made up term “wilding wolf pack” to whip the public into a frenzy of demands for the death penalty.

And all the while these poor kids (Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise) had nothing to do with the horrific crime, other than the fact that they were in the park on that same night. There was absolutely no evidence connecting them to the case, including DNA found on the victim that did not match any of them. Still the city proceeded with the prosecution and wrongful imprisonment of these five teenagers.”

You can read the rest HERE.

Now comes the four-part series from filmmaker Ava Duvernay, WHEN THEY SEE US.

Based on a true story that gripped the country, WHEN THEY SEE US will chronicle the notorious case of five teenagers of color, labeled the Central Park Five, who were convicted of a rape they did not commit. The four part limited series will focus on the five teenagers from Harlem — Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise. Beginning in the spring of 1989, when the teenagers were first questioned about the incident, the series will span 25 years, highlighting their exoneration in 2002 and the settlement reached with the city of New York in 2014.

This must-see series is available now on Netflix :https://www.netflix.com/title/80200549

When They See Us was created by Ava DuVernay, who also co-wrote and directed the four parts. Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King from Participant Media, Oprah Winfrey from Harpo Films, and Jane Rosenthal, Berry Welsh and Robert De Niro from Tribeca Productions executive produced the limited series alongside DuVernay through her banner, Array FilmWorks. In addition to DuVernay, Attica Locke, Robin Swicord, Michael Starrbury and Julian Breece also served as writers on the limited series.

The series stars Emmy Award® Nominee Michael K. Williams, Academy Award® Nominee Vera Farmiga, Emmy Award® Winner John Leguizamo, Academy Award® Nominee and Emmy Award® Winner Felicity Huffman, Emmy Award® Nominee Niecy Nash, Emmy Award® Winner and two-time Golden Globe Nominee Blair Underwood, Emmy Award® and Grammy Award® Winner and Tony Award® Nominee Christopher Jackson, Joshua Jackson, Omar J. Dorsey, Adepero Oduye, Famke Janssen, Aurora Perrineau, William Sadler, Jharrel Jerome, Jovan Adepo, Aunjanue Ellis, Kylie Bunbury, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Storm Reid, Dascha Polanco, Chris Chalk, Freddy Miyares, Justin Cunningham, Ethan Herisse, Caleel Harris, Marquis Rodriguez, and Asante Blackk.