DIRECTED BY Angela Lynn Tucker
Producer(s) Moira Griffin and Trevite Willis
2025 | U.S. | 98 Minutes
We are proud to announce that The Inquisitor will make its highly anticipated
World Premiere at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in New York City and at DC/DOX in Washington, DC.
Screenings and Ticket Options
TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
World Premiere: Saturday, June 8 at 2:30 PM ET
Encore Screening: Thursday, June 13 at 8:00 PM ET
Location: Village East by Angelika Film Center
Encore Screening: Friday, June 14 at 12:00 PM ET
Location: AMC 19th St. East 6
Purchase your Tribeca tickets today!
DC/DOX FILM FESTIVAL
Screening: Saturday, June 1 at 5:15 PM - 7:00 PM
Location: Burke Theatre at the US Navy Memorial
Purchase your DC/DOX tickets today!
THE FILM
In 1972, Barbara Jordan became the first Southern Black woman to join Congress.
THE INQUISITOR chronicles Representative Jordan’s meteoric rise offering a blueprint for uniting a divided America through a turbulent political era.
As a young girl in Houston’s Fifth Ward, Barbara Jordan was taught to defy expectations. She understood that to succeed, she would need to forge her own path. With relentless determination and unyielding tenacity, Barbara Jordan madehistory as Texas’s first Black state senator and the first Southern Black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In a world dominated by white men,she moved with deft skill, earning both their respect and their fear. At a time when the idea of a Black woman holding power seemed inconceivable, Barbara Jordan created a roadmap for change. The Inquisitor chronicles the life of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, whose electrifying voice and moral clarity during President Richard Nixon’s impeachment captivated the nation. Earning her the moniker “The Inquisitor.”
THE DIRECTOR
Angela Lynn Tucker is an Emmy and Webby-winning filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist. She produced BELLY OF THE BEAST (PBS' Independent Lens) and directed and co-wrote the holiday film. A NEW ORLEANS NOEL, starring Keisha Knight Pulliam and Patti LaBelle (Lifetime). Her latest film, THE INQUISITOR, will premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival. The documentary focuses on political icon Barbara Jordan and is the final installment in a series about Southern Black women and political power, which includes ALL SKINFOLK, AIN’T KINFOLK (PBS' Reel South) and IAM NOT GOING TO CHANGE 400 YEARS IN 4, co-directed by Kristi Jacobson (PBS' IndependentLens).
Her documentary series BLACK FOLK DON’T was featured in Time Magazine’s “10 Ideas That Are Changing Your Life.” Angela’s work creates sanctuaries for Black thought, blending memory, resistance, and joy. Sherecently had her first solo exhibition in New Orleans and was an artist-in-residence at the True/False Film Festival. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Angela is a recipient of fellowships from the Sundance Institute, Firelight Media, Chicken & Egg Films, and Film Independent. She holds a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from Columbia University.
PRODUCERS
Moira Griffin is a producer and strategist based in Los Angeles for New Bumper and Paint Productions with writer/director Marshall Tyler. Her recent award-winning projects include Slow Pulse (CBS/BET), Cap (HBO), Night Shift (Sundance), and Landline (HULU). Her work has premiered at Sundance, SXSW, ABFF, and Tribeca. NBP is developing The Prince of Seventh Avenue: The Legend of WilliWear/Willi Smith (Vogue Studios/Conde Nast) and Fever Dream. She is also producing the PBS documentary The Inquisitor, directed by Angela Tucker, through her company Alice’s Plan.
A University of Windsor graduate, Moira was Executive Director of Production & Creative Labs at 21st Century Fox and Head of Diversity Initiatives at Sundance Institute, where she launched key partnerships and supported directors like Sydney Freeland, Marta Cunningham, and Marielle Heller. She created the Ethiopian Film Initiative (IEFTA), co-founded Rooftop Films, and is a Film Independent Alum and Blackhouse Producing Fellow.
Trevite Willis is Head of Development and Production at Best Yet Entertainment and a film festival founder committed to courageous storytelling. She was Co-Producer on Broadway’s THE WIZ; Executive Producer on Sundance 2024’s KIDNAPPING, INC.; Co-Executive Producer on Sundance 2023’s TO LIVE AND DIE AND LIVE; and Executive Producer on Sundance 2020 award-winning FORTY YEAR OLD VERSION. She has produced 9 feature films, including LOVE, JOY AND POWER: TOOLS OR LIBERATION, THE INQUISITOR: THE BARBARA JORDAN DOC (2025 Tribeca), CARGO (2017 Amnesty International Human Rights Prize), and CHILDREN OF GOD, which had theatrical releases in the US, UK, and The Netherlands, won 17 awards, and sold in 24 territories.
In 2018, Willis launched the Southern Fried Film Festival in Huntsville, Alabama with Kelley Reischauer. She was a 2020 Blackhouse Multicultural Producers Lab fellow, Trans Atlantic Partners alum (2017), Sundance Catalyst fellow (2018), Women at Sundance Strategy Intensive fellow (2017, 2019), and a SXSW Tech Conference speaker (2012).
Director’s Statement
At a time when Americans are both profoundly divided over and deeply unaware of their shared history, Barbara Jordan’s story feels more urgent than ever. A powerful Black woman with an unforgettable public voice and a complex private life, she offers us an essential perspective in our national conversation.
At the core of this film is Barbara Jordan’s reflection on the cyclical nature of history, a concept she expresses herself in the opening of the film. This idea serves as the thread that connects the narrative and structure, suggesting that history tends to repeat itself unless we actively reframe it. While many films covering these time periods focus on the white, male presence, the goal of this film is to offer a different perspective—one that adds depth to our understanding of history by incorporating these often overlooked narratives. It is an attempt to reframe history in a more intersectional way, contributing to a hopefully more inclusive form of historical storytelling that acknowledges the multiple dimensions of identity that shape individual and collective experiences.
Over the five years of making this film, the world has changed dramatically. Democracy feels more fragile than ever, and many people feel lost. Barbara’s words stay with me: “What Americans want is simple. They want an America as good as its promise.”
How will we get there?
I hope this film serves as both a balm for the times and a roadmap from Barbara in the great beyond. Making this film has kept me grounded through these turbulent years. For our team, THE INQUISITOR has been more than a project—it has been a purpose. Now, as we release it into the world, we carry forward what Barbara stood for.
We must all be inquisitors for our rights and for those who cannot fight for themselves.
CREDITS
Directed and Produced by Angela Lynn Tucker
Produced by Trevite Willis, Moira Griffin
Internal narration of Barbara Jordan voiced by Alfre Woodard
Director of Photography and Co-Producer Duane Prefume
Edited by Annukka Lilja
Original Score by Omar Fadel
Executive Producers Jameka Autry, Katy Drake Bettner, Tyrone Dixon
Executive Producer Carrie Lozano
Supervising Producer Michael Kinomoto
Executive Producers for Firelight Media Stanley Nelson, Marcia Smith
Supervising Producer Julia Pontecorvo
Executive Producer for BPM Leslie Fields-Cruz, Denise A. Greene
Archival Producers Michelle Ngo, Susanne Mason
Co-Producer Charu Raman
Associate Producer Ausinikka Hunter
Consulting Producers Anurima Bhargava, Toneisha Taylor, Noland Walker
Co-Executive Producer Jennifer Pelling,
Executive Producers Grace Lay, Jonathan Logan
Animation by Kelly Gallagher
Graphics by Mindbomb
Motion Graphics Artists Christopher Kirk, Syd Garon