Over a quiet breakfast on an Eastside Los Angeles patio, Ava DuVernay finds herself reflecting on a pivotal moment of mentorship from Steven Spielberg. Years ago, during the ascent of her historical drama Selma, DuVernay asked the legendary filmmaker how he managed the immense pressure of constant visibility and the risk of disappointing his audience. His answer was simple and enduring: you just make another one. That philosophy has become a guiding light for DuVernay as she prepares for the premiere of 14th, a provocative new documentary for Netflix that examines the fragile state of the Fourteenth Amendment in modern America.
The film serves as a spiritual successor to her acclaimed 2016 work, 13th, but documenting current events proved far more volatile than revisiting history. What began as an exploration of challenges to birthright citizenship quickly expanded into a broader study of due process and insurrection. DuVernay describes the process as building a plane midflight, noting that the story shifted almost daily as political winds changed. From following high profile figures like Carla Hayden and Lonnie Bunch to interviewing dozens of scholars and comedians, DuVernay used the project as an outlet for her own anxiety and anger regarding the social climate of the last three years.
Producing such an overtly political piece arrived at a precarious time for Hollywood, where studios are increasingly hesitant to touch sensitive material. As other streamers shelved projects or delayed releases to avoid controversy, DuVernay worried if Netflix would succumb to similar pressures. Despite conversations with executives that lacked certainty about the industry’s future or potential corporate mergers, she was encouraged to simply keep creating. While she acknowledges a growing sense of fear among artists and executives alike, DuVernay remains committed to truth telling in an era where creative freedom feels increasingly constrained.
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