The Central Park Five (Trailer)

In 1989, five teenagers in New York City were falsely accused of raping a female jogger in Manhattan’s Central Park. The case garnered national attention, largely because of its racial undertones. Filmmaker Ken Burns examines how five Black and Latino teenagers were imprisoned for an attack on a white woman that they did not commit.

Later revelations proved that a serial rapist was responsible for the assault, but the film explores how each teenager dealt with the accusations levelled against them. It also examines how sections of affluent white society sought to convict the so-called Central Park Five in the media before they were afforded due process.

Burns takes an in-depth look at the case and the lingering effects of the accusations on everyone involved. The lives of the men following their exoneration are explored, along with the case’s impact on race relations in New York City.