Emanuel first received critical acclaim at the 2018 Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize for Best Documentary.

[4] After 21-year-old white supremacist Dylann Roof opened fire during a prayer service in a Charleston, South Carolina church, nine African Americans were killed.

Featuring interviews with survivors and family members, the documentary examines the history of race relations in Charleston, the significance and impact of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the effect on the community from the offered forgiveness.

A year later, he began filming the movie in Charleston, with interviews conducted at Emanuel AME Church and the homes of victims’ families, among other locations.

[6] The film was later released free to the public for a two-week window beginning on June 2, 2020 to encourage education on racial injustice.