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Thirty years after they were wrongfully accused of rape, the “Central Park Five” finally get to tell their side of the story.
Ava DuVernay, best known for directing Selma, 13th, and A Wrinkle in Time, released a teaser video via Twitter for her new Netflix series, When They See Us. The limited series tells the story of the five teenagers from Harlem, New York, who were wrongfully accused—and later convicted—of raping a female jogger in 1989.
The minute-long teaser shows the incident from a mother’s perspective as her son gets ready, leaves their house and is suddenly arrested.
“You watch them grow, and you start to think you did a good job. And then one night, you look away,” the mother says in the video.
The limited series was once named after the group’s crime-inspired nickname, however, DuVernay changed the series’ name with the intent of preserving the true story of the five men.
“Not thugs. Not wilding. Not criminals. Not even the Central Park Five. They are Korey, Antron, Raymond, Yusef, Kevin,” DuVernay tweeted. “They are millions of young people of color who are blamed, judged and accused on sight. May 31. A film in four parts about who they really are. WHEN THEY SEE US.”
DuVernay directed and co-wrote all four parts of the series, while other writers on the series include Attica Locke, Robin Swicord, and Michael Starrbury.
When They See Us premieres May 31 on Netflix.
Tags: netflix when they see us