Netflix releases Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us and 13th for free to celebrate Juneteenth

Viewers will be able to watch DuVernay’s projects without a Netflix subscription

Netflix has made Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us and 13th available to stream for free in celebration of Juneteenth,

To commemorate the holiday, which marks the end of slavery in the United States, viewers will be able to watch DuVernay’s Netflix projects on Friday (19 June) without having to pay for a subscription.

Sharing the news on Twitter, the director wrote: “Some News: WHEN THEY SEE US is now available in front of @Netflix’s paywall for free. 13TH too. And it’s also on Youtube now. Billboards for both are now up in NYC + LA.”

DuVernay’s award winning drama When They See Us tells the true story of the Central Park Five, a group of young black teenagers who were wrongly accused of raping a white woman in 1989. They went on to serve prison sentences for a crime they didn’t commit.

Academy Award-nominated documentary 13th tells the story of racism in the US, with a particular focus on the ways in which black people are unfairly and disproportionately incarcerated.

Fans of DuVernay’s work in the US can also watch Selma, her 2014 Martin Luther King biopic starring David Oyelowo, for free on all streaming platforms throughout June, along with 2019’s Just Mercy.

Last week, Netflix launched their “Black Lives Matter” collection, curating films, TV series and stand-up specials by black artists on their platform, as well as pledging $5m (£3.9m) to black creators and businesses amid worldwide protests.