If you haven't seen any of Ken Burns' previous documentary films, you really need to check them out. Some of his work includes The Civil War, Jazz, The War, Baseball, Prohibition, and a ton of others that are worth your time.
His latest documentary project is called The Central Park Five and it explores the 1989 case of five black and Latino teenagers who were convicted of raping a 29-year-old white woman in Central Park. After having spent between 6 and 13 years each in prison, a serial rapist confessed to the crime, and the men falsely accused were released.
Here's the official synopsis:
In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem were arrested and later convicted of raping a white woman in New York City’s Central Park. They spent between six and 13 years in prison before a serial rapist confessed that he alone had committed the crime, resulting in their convictions being overturned.
Set against a backdrop of a decaying city beset by violence and racial tension, THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE tells the story of that horrific crime, the rush to judgment by the police, a media clamoring for sensational stories, an outraged public, and the five lives upended by this miscarriage of justice.
I love watching documentaries, I think I've already gone through every one of them that exists on Instant Netflix. And this looks like one of those docs that is a must see. Watch the trailer and tell us what you think.