Southern Rites

What changes and what remains

Southern Rites — Plot

Southern Rites visits Montgomery County, Ga., one year after the town merged its racially segregated proms, and during a historic election campaign that may lead to its first African-American sheriff. Acclaimed photographer Gillian Laub, whose photos first brought the area unwanted notoriety, documents the repercussions when a white town resident is charged with the murder of a young black man. The case divides locals along well-worn racial lines, and the ensuing plea bargain and sentencing uncover complex truths and produce emotional revelations.

• Release date
• May 18, 2015
• Runtime
• 90 min
• Genres
• Documentary
• Director
• Gillian Laub