Unchained Memories (2003)
HBO

Description

When the Civil War ended in 1865, more than four million slaves were set free. Over 70 years later, the memories of some 2,000 slave-era survivors were transcribed and preserved by the Library of Congress. These first-person anecdotes, ranging from the brutal to the bittersweet, have been brought to vivid life in this unique HBO documentary special, featuring the on-camera voices of over a dozen top African-American actors.

Tags

Slavery

Collected reviews and ratings

9.0 DVD Verdict | Mike Pinsky

Life for slaves in this country was a trial. Life after slavery - sharecropping, racism, poverty - was a trial. Anger, resentment, and frustration are the legacy of slavery. And because the institutional racism lingered (and still does in many places) for generations, the stories in Unchained Memories are still necessary.
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9.0 Amazon user reviews

I would definitely recommend this film, especially to high school and college students. This should be part of the curriculum and not be ignored or skipped over, like the subject often is. These narratives are powerful and moving. Highly recommended.
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8.3 digitallyobsessed.com | Brian Calhoun

Unchained Memories: Readings From the Slave Narratives is a compelling first-hand account of what it was like to be born into bondage. It is a wholly worthwhile documentary that allows us to hopefully gain an understanding of the importance of racial acceptance.
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8.0 DVD Talk | Gil Jawetz

These interviews are provocative because of their intimacy with slavery and their realness. No amount of off-off-Broadway, one-man-show, monolog writing can compare with the raw words used by a former slave describing his or her experiences.
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8.0 Variety | Laura Fries

Against a simple background, directors Ed Bell and Thomas Lennon bring together celebs such as Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle and Oprah Winfrey to provide a picture of daily slave life and bring those stories vividly and hauntingly to life.
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