Revealing the Dark Truth of Southern Plantation Tourism

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 12:38:50 +0000

Natchez, Mississippi is famous for its stunning antebellum homes, drawing visitors from across the country to admire their beauty and history. In her film, "Natchez" director Suzannah Herbert looks beyond the grand mansions to explore the stories that often go untold through the perspectives of homeowners, tour guides, activists, and residents.

Marissa and Lucky break this down further with filmmaker and historical tour guide, EJ Johnson, to discuss the film, the complexities of historical tourism, and why the question of who gets to tell history still matters today through connections like Sinners and Get Out. Together, they unpack the romanticization of the Old South, the stories left out of traditional tours, and what it means to reckon with a past that continues to shape the present.

Watch the full documentary “Natchez”| Exposing the Myth of Southern Charm: https://youtu.be/jHAauml9rV4

00:00 Welcome to PBS Film Club
1:43 Unpacking the Term "Pilgrimage"
3:26 "Gone with the Wind" & Plantation Life
5:50 CLIP: "Servant" vs "Enslaved"
8:25 CLIP: Leave the Past in the Past?
11:05 CLIP: What is Being Hidden in Tours?
12:32 What are Folks Asking EJ in Historical Tours?
15:38 How is Film a Tool for Reclamation: Sinners & Get Out
21:33 Why Horror Works for Black Stories
26:33 Humanizing the Lives of Enslaved Ancestors
30:34 Conclusion, What Are Your Thoughts?

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More about PBS Film Club
Welcome to PBS Film Club, the award-winning PBS documentary series hosted by Marissa and Lucky. In an exciting new chapter, we are proud to partner with ITVS and the award-winning PBS series Independent Lens, who join us to co-produce select episodes and bring their unique insight to our community. Together, we’re bringing film lovers a space to watch and discuss how films connect to broader cultural and historical themes. If you love watching films and talking about them with friends and family or showing off at trivia night, this club is for you.

FOLLOW Marissa, Lucky, EJ:
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Lucky: https://www.instagram.com/itslucky__/
EJ: https://www.instagram.com/thedirector_ej/?hl=en

New episodes are now available on the PBS Documentaries YouTube channel, where you can explore even more films and stories that help us better understand our world and each other.

ABOUT INDEPENDENT LENS
@independentlens is an Emmy® Award-winning PBS documentary series. With founding executive producer Lois Vossen, the series has been honored with 10 Academy Award nominations and features documentaries united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of independent filmmakers. Funding is provided by the Action Circle for Independent Lens with major funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Acton Family Giving, Ford Foundation, and Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, with additional support from Artemis Rising Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, Park Foundation, the deNovo Initiative, and RandomGood Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.