Real footage
Keith Beauchamp had to use real footage for some scenes
Heartbreaking scenes
In order to underline Emmett Till's story even better, director Keith Beauchamp used real footage for some scenes.
Some scenes show the drama and pain during Emmett's funeral. Some others underline his mother's pain, not tot mention the scenes during the trial. Real footage added to the authenticity of this documentary and helped the director underline a point of view. As for other scenes, they include real testimony from people connected to the case.
During the trial
The judge banned photography during the trial, yet some journalists took some risk and managed to snap a few pictures.
It is hard to tell why photography was banned, but real footage shows jury members drinking or the sheriff calling black attendees all kinds of names. Real testimony from more parties adds to the credibility of this documentary.
The footage behind the scenes shows you what the director had to go through in order to gain so much evidence.
You will see him trying to find witnesses or people connected to the case in order to refresh their memory and get more testimony.