(Screenshots from 18:36-18:48)

I initially clicked on the video "Exposing the Myth of Southern Charm" because I was intrigued by the somewhat click-baity title, but mostly because it was posted on a PBS Youtube channel and this seemed like a (relatively) spicy take for PBS.

I was graced with a beautifully subtle look at the historic slave plantation town of Natchez, Mississippi, and the tourism industry that has popped up around their many antebellum homes. It tells of an overdue reckoning in a community that lovingly preserves and displays their history (and profits from it) while simultaneously desiring to move on from its darker elements. Yet there is nuance as well; we learn of Natchez's history of progressive politics post-civil war, and the various ways that many residents are working to keep the "offensive" elements of history from getting swept under the rug. There is no narration; the film allows interviewees to speak for themselves, sometimes to their own detriment (with the help of some clever editing).

Apparently the documentary was originally given the more neutral title of Natchez and was produced with some support from PBS but not directly for them. The director and producer also did an AMA on reddit recently that's worth a read. The movie went on to win a bunch of awards, including best documentary at Tribeca.

It's currently available for free on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHAauml9rV4