Emory Hosts Free Screening of Documentary 'NATCHEZ'

Film explores Natchez, Mississippi's reckoning with its romanticized past and uncertain future.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 11:00pm

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An abstract, minimalist illustration composed of bold, jagged black silhouettes against a stark white background, conceptually representing the complex narratives and identities at the heart of the documentary film 'NATCHEZ'.The documentary 'NATCHEZ' explores how a Southern town grapples with its romanticized past and uncertain future.Natchez Today

Emory University's Center for Ethics in the Arts is hosting a free screening of the documentary film 'NATCHEZ' on April 9, 2026. The film follows an array of historic homeowners, activists, and tour guides in Natchez as they grapple with the town's romanticized pre-Civil War history and its debt to the descendants of slavery. A post-film Q&A with the film's producer and director, Suzannah Herbert, will be held.

Why it matters

The screening is part of Emory's 'Ethics at the Movies' series, which aims to explore ethical issues through documentary films. 'NATCHEZ' tackles the complex and ongoing reckoning many Southern towns are facing as they confront their problematic pasts and work to redefine their identities and narratives for the future.

The details

The free screening of 'NATCHEZ' will take place on Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 7:00 PM EDT in the Rita Anne Rollins Building, Room 102 at Emory University. The event is presented in partnership between Emory's Center for Ethics in the Arts and the Atlanta Film Society.

  • The free screening of 'NATCHEZ' will take place on Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 7:00 PM EDT.

The players

Suzannah Herbert

The producer and director of the documentary film 'NATCHEZ'.

Center for Ethics in the Arts at Emory University

The organization hosting the free screening of 'NATCHEZ' as part of their 'Ethics at the Movies' documentary series.

Atlanta Film Society

The organization partnering with Emory's Center for Ethics in the Arts to present the free screening of 'NATCHEZ'.

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What they’re saying

“NATCHEZ is a cinematic portrait of a tourist town at a crossroads, following an array of historic homeowners, activists, and tour guides as they tell their versions of the past, and clash over who gets to tell America's story.”

— Suzannah Herbert, Producer / Director of NATCHEZ

What’s next

The free screening of 'NATCHEZ' at Emory University on April 9, 2026 will be followed by a Q&A session with the film's producer and director, Suzannah Herbert.

The takeaway

The screening of 'NATCHEZ' at Emory University provides an opportunity for the Atlanta community to engage with the ethical complexities surrounding how the South's history is portrayed and recounted, and the ongoing efforts to reframe narratives that have long romanticized problematic pasts.