(***)

Swindlers stealing land from Black folks is an age-old scam. One worth exposing. 

Silver Dollar road is a waterfront property in North Carolina that’s been in the Reels family for generations. Unbeknownst to them, they’ve been conned out of a large portion of their acreage by a deceitful relative and white land developers. That parcel sits on a lake and would be prime real estate for hotels and such. So, how do you get back what never should have been stolen? 

Documentarian and filmmaker extraordinaire Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro, Lumumba) focusses on the Reel’s specifically. But land grabbing and using law enforcement to intimidate victims is a monstrous rip-off game that goes well beyond one family’s experience in North Carolina. 

Peck’s investigation uncovers systematic racism, greed and a clear battle between good and evil. Shock, outrage, evictions and jailtime are on view in this cautionary tale. Through an exhausting cycle of trials, appeals, trials and appeals this family stands strong. Luckily they had an inkling that their strength would be tested one day. Their patriarch, Elijah Reels (born in slavery in 1866, died in 1962), gave them fair warning before he died: “Whatever you do, don’t let the white man have my land.”  

A matriarch’s old video footage and Peck’s prying lens tell all. However, more judicious editing could have made this an 80 to 90-minute succinct doc that resonates rather than a 100-minute one that occasionally loses momentum. 

A very loving, normal family heroically sought justice. Documentary fans will want to see how they did it. Here it is.  

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-EZdZMK9d0

For more information about the Toronto International Film Festival go to https://tiff.net/. 
Visit Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.