Suzannah Herbert’s ‘Natchez’ Documentary Analyzes Highlights and Horrors of Mississippi Town’s History

From Confederate statues across the South being taken down, to the removal of teachings of critical race theory, America has long struggled with how to look back on its history. Suzannah Herbert captures this disagreement and confusion and turns it into Natchez, a film about the Mississippi town of the same name, where its citizens are beginning to come to a head on how its past should really be remembered.

Antebellum history is important to the citizens of Natchez, Mississippi. As the town attracts more and more tourists, however, the different parts of the town’s history that each of them would like the town to display clash with each other. Do they choose to display the traditional clothing and beautiful plantations that make up the oldest settlement on the Mississippi River? Or do they openly acknowledge the horrific effects of slavery and mistreatment of African-Americans that ran through the town, influencing even the history they choose to remember? The documentary aims to examine not only the depth of this question, but the even deeper depths of Natchez itself, featuring perspectives from different sides of the town’s historical spectrum.

“I first became interested in antebellum American history when I was invited to a wedding on a plantation. I started to think about the ways in which people use historic sites today purely for their own enjoyment, contributing to erasure,” says Herbert in a statement about the film. “I realized that American culture has masked history to such an extent that many people do not recognize the layered complexity of plantations and historical sites. I then knew I had to make a film that not only challenges people’s romanticized perceptions of antebellum history but one that also disrupts assumptions that flatten the South and Southerners.”

Natchez was featured in several film festivals, most notably Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Documentary Film, and was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Editing. It also appeared at the Middlebury New Filmmakers Film Festival, Sidewalk Film Festival, and Charlotte Film Festival, where it also won awards for Best Documentary at every one.

Natchez will open in theaters, starting at Film Forum in New York on January 30th, 2026, with a global theater run following soon after.

Stephen Saito of The Moveable Fest reviewed Natchez, claiming it to be not only the best documentary of the 21st century, but the 19th century as well. He writes further, saying, “Many of the lavish homes that people come to the town to see have slave quarters just around the back and it’s fascinating how various members of the community decide on how to tell their history, not only in how it reflects the truth as they know it but ultimately having a lot of sway over how it will be remembered in the future.”

Watch the official trailer for Natchez above.