Summaries

Through the eyes of a British "documentary", this film takes a satirically humorous, and sometimes frightening, look at the history of an America where the South won the Civil War.

Set in an contemporary alternative world where the Confederate States of America managed to win the American Civil War, a British film documentary examines the history of this nation. Beginning with its conquest of the northern states, the film covers the history of this country where racial enslavement became triumphant and the nation carried sinister designs of conquest. Interspersed throughout are various TV commercials of products of a virulent racist nature, as well as public-service announcements that promote this tyranny. Only at the end is it revealed that the film contains less wholly-imagined material that the viewer might suspect.—Kenneth Chisholm ([email protected])

Details

Keywords
  • alternate history
  • alternate reality
  • fictional tv commercial
  • american civil war
  • alternative history
Genres
  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • War
Release date Jun 23, 2005
Motion Picture Rating (MPA) PG-13
Countries of origin United States
Language English
Filming locations Lawrence, Kansas, USA
Production companies Hodcarrier Films

Box office

Gross US & Canada $672156
Opening weekend US & Canada $5706
Gross worldwide $744165

Tech specs

Runtime 1h 29m
Color Color Black and White
Sound mix Stereo
Aspect ratio 1.33 : 1

Synopsis

The BBC presents a documentary on slavery in America entitled CSA and it traces the history of the present-day Confederate States of America. The BBC retells history beginning in 1863 when the Southern States managed to overcome a mis-managed attempt to secede from the union and win over the northern states that were fighting to keep the country a slave-free entity. With the assistance of French and British Troops, the Confederacy wins a decisive victory at the battle for Gettysburg. Within a short period Ulysses S. Grant surrenders to Robert E. Lee and Abraham Lincoln flees to Canada. The Northern States are absorbed into the Confederacy; Boston and New York are burned to tinder and the right to own slaves is protected by the Constitution. From this point up to present day the Confederate States of America grows to become the most powerful nation on Earth. The CSA is dominant in wars with Spain and other Latin American countries and enters a partnership with Adolph Hitler in order to remain the strongest nation. Today the CSA sustains pressures over its use of slavery from Canada and the Muslim Nation. Slavery in the CSA, as it was originally for the seceding states at the outbreak of the Civil War, is the economic spine of the country and leaders accept it into their vision as endemic to the quality of the nation. The CSA is blind to the humanistic quality of the institution on the individual in regards to black people in the country. When a long-time slave of John Fauntroy, (Larry Peterson) -- a politician and great-grandson of one of the main leaders against Lincoln -- comes forward with shocking news, a rupture in the political structure of the CSA seems imminent.

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