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Civil War (Or, Who Do We Think We Are)

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Civil War (Or, Who Do We Think We Are)

Released Sep 17, 2021

1h 40m

Documentary

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6 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Urgent and complex, CIVIL WAR (OR, WHO DO WE THINK WE ARE) travels across the United States, exploring how Americans tell the story of their Civil War. Filmed from President Obama's final year in office through the present, it interweaves insightful scenes and touching interviews filmed North and South, painting a uniquely crafted, multi-faceted portrait of the American psyche and the deep roots of its turbulent times. With delicacy and strength, subtlety and determination, CIVIL WAR lays bare a nation in denial, haunted by an embittered past and the stories it refuses to tell.

Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

Its thesis that the North won the Civil War and the South won the Reconstruction ... will be revelatory to young students, and anyone whose past schooling glossed over or distorted the deeper meaning of those events.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 17, 2021

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Ann Hornaday

Washington Post

Interviewing teachers, students, Confederate buffs and state politicians, Boynton delves into the abyss dividing Americans in terms of what we know about our own history and how what we know differs by region, self-selection and heritage.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 17, 2021

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John Anderson

Wall Street Journal

No, there's not a happy ending to "Civil War." But there's also no shortage of provocative inquiry, or empathy, or understanding.

Jun 16, 2021

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David Reddish

Queerty

It would be easy to dismiss Civil War as a work trying to shame the south and nationwide white complacency, but Boyntons camera paints a far more complicated picture.

Rated: 4/4

Mar 13, 2022

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Nathaniel Muir

AIPT

The film takes familiar topics and looks at them in a whole new way. It is interesting to see how different parts of the country look at the Civil War.

Sep 17, 2021

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Avi Offer

NYC Movie Guru

An alarming and vital stepping stone toward truth and, above all, democracy. The more we face the harsh truths about history or the present without any sugar coating, the closer we'll be to democracy.

Rated: 8.352/10

Sep 17, 2021

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Rachel Boynton

Director

Erika Dilday

Producer

Rachel Boynton

Producer

Henry Louis Gates

Executive Producer

Sam Pollard

Executive Producer

Steven Shainberg

Executive Producer

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Synopsis

Urgent and complex, CIVIL WAR (OR, WHO DO WE THINK WE ARE) travels across the United States, exploring how Americans tell the story of their Civil War. Filmed from President Obama's final year in office through the present, it interweaves insightful scenes and touching interviews filmed North and South, painting a uniquely crafted, multi-faceted portrait of the American psyche and the deep roots of its turbulent times. With delicacy and strength, subtlety and determination, CIVIL WAR lays bare a nation in denial, haunted by an embittered past and the stories it refuses to tell.

Director: Rachel Boynton
Producer: Erika Dilday, Rachel Boynton
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 17, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 17, 2021
Runtime: 1h 40m