5 documentaries to understand the problems America will face

UNITED STATES – Understanding to better cope. After this first day of results of the American presidential election, marked by the re-election of Donald Trump against Kamala Harris, many issues, central to the campaigns of the two candidates, will become even more pressing for citizens.

HuffPost offers you a selection of 5 works to better understand the issues facing America in the months and years to come.

1. Abortion in the United States: the great divide de Cyril Denvers et Sophie Przychodny

June 24, 2022 is an important date in recent United States history. That day, the judges of the Supreme Court, the highest judicial body in the country, overturned a federal ruling, named Roe vs Wadewhich since 1973 had guaranteed the right to abortion throughout the country, leaving each State free to determine its own policy on the subject. Since then, fourteen of them have completely banned voluntary termination of pregnancy (abortion) even in cases of rape and incest, while six others have restricted the conditions for access to the medical procedure.

In Abortion in the United States: the great divideCyril Denvers and Sophie Przychodny go to Illinois, a true refuge for the right to abortion, surrounded by states (Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky) banning the practice, then to Texas, bastion of pro-life movements. They give voice to residents and actors from both sides to better understand how the Supreme Court's decision has disrupted the daily lives of American women.

This documentary, partly produced in part by France Télévisions and LCP – National Assembly, is available on France.tv.

2. The United States, land of immigration by Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau

In 2016, Donald Trump hammered home the expansion of the barrier between the United States border and Mexico as a campaign argument. Once in power, the Republican put his idea in place and in 2021, 727 km of wall had been built.

Drawing on a three-year investigation, put online just before the previous presidential election, Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau provide us with an assessment of the migration system put in place under the presidency of Donald Trump. With unprecedented access to the operations of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) customs police agency and a poignant gallery of refugee portraits, this six-part docu-series aims to be as exhaustive as possible on the devastation wreaked on families of migrants, where parents are often separated from their children. All six episodes of this documentary series are online on Netflix.

3. The 13th d’Ava DuVernay

The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution is one of the pillars of the United States today. This article of law definitively abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except in cases of punishment for crime. Ava DuVerney's production opens with a damning statistic: Americans represent 5% of the world's population but 25% of the world's incarcerated people, including 40% black people.

In this film, nominated for an Oscar for best documentary in 2017, the African-American director seeks to demonstrate that slavery has a legacy in the criminalization of certain behaviors towards minorities. From the disenfranchisement of the black population in the 20th century to their over-representation in today's prisons, The 13th seeks to show the flaws of a racist system that pushes mass incarceration. A problem that is all the more topical after the racist excesses of Donald Trump's supporters during his meeting in New York. The documentary is available on Netflix.

4. America First, le bilan by Norma Percy

In America First, le bilandirector Norma Percy returns in three parts to the diplomatic relations of the United States during the Republican presidency. The first episode is devoted to distancing itself from its historic allies in Europe and NATO, the second looks at the upheavals taking place in the Middle East, from the withdrawal of American troops in Syria to its unwavering support for the Prime Minister. Israeli minister at the time, Benjamin Netanyahu. Finally, the third part focuses on the trade war waged against Xi Jinping's China and the connections with the authoritarian leaders of Russia and North Korea.

A 3×60 minute investigation which could shed light on Donald Trump's upcoming management of the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. The documentary series is available in full on Arte.tv.

5. Will & Harper de Josh Greenbaum

From New York to Texas via Washington DC, Illinois or Oklahoma, Will Ferrell and one of the authors of Saturday Night Live Harper Steele takes us into a film halfway between a road-trip buddy movie and a documentary. But Josh Greenbaum's camera mainly seeks to film the lives of transgender people, including screenwriter Harper Steele, in the United States.

Will & Harper is an opportunity to revisit the hostility of a part of the American population towards LGBTQIA+ causes. The actor questions what Harper Steele experiences through the eyes of strangers and industry acquaintances. As a reminder, Donald Trump had notably banned the recruitment of transgender people in the army. The documentary is available on Netflix.

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