Ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, "Crooked Lines," a new documentary released today (November 2) by Field of Vision, highlights how gerrymandering suppresses Black political power in North Carolina. 

The 11-minute short film follows Val Applewhite, a redistricting reform organizer and plaintiff in North Carolina v. Covington, the 2017 case in which the United States Supreme Court ruled that Republican officials used race as a motivating factor in redistricting the state, and directed the state legislature to redraw district maps. In the documentary short, people mobilize to demand futher reform after the same Republican redistricting consultant releases new maps that are virtually unchanged. As the fight against voter suppression unfolds onscreen, a mathematician at Duke University breaks down how lawmakers tactically carve out maps to influence elections and keep people of color from electing their preferred candidates.

Watch the full documentary above.