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The Inquisitor
The Inquisitor highlights the legacy of Barbara Jordan, unraveling how her public influence shaped U.S. politics, while exploring the complexities of her hidden personal identity.
- Length
- 90 minutes
- Funding Initiative
- Open Call
Producer/Director
Angela Tucker
Angela Tucker is an EmmyⓇ Award-winning producer of Belly of the Beast. Past directorial work includes All Skinfolk Ain’t Kinfolk, Black Folk Don’t, and (A)Sexual. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a recipient of Film Independent's Amplifier Fellowship and a Chicken and Egg 2023 Award.
Producer
Trevite Willis
Trevite Willis is an independent producer and film festival founder. She co-executive produced To Live and Die and Live, and executive produced The Forty-Year-Old Version. She is producing The Inquisitor: The Barbara Jordan Documentary.. She has produced seven feature films, including Cargo, Blood Bound, Maya and Her Lover, and Children of God.
- Other ITVS Films
- Listen to My Heartbeat
Producer
Moira Griffin
Moira Griffin is a producer based in Los Angeles, California. Her award-winning projects include Slow Pulse, Cap, and Night Shift. Currently she's producing Marshall Tyler's The Prince of 7th Ave (with Vogue Studios) and Angela Tucker's The Inquisitor. Moira is a Film Independent Amplifier fellow. She has held positions at Fox and Sundance Institute.
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The Film
The Inquisitor tells the story of Barbara Jordan, an American politician, lawyer, educator, and public servant. Jordan’s ethical principles and interrogational skill served the United States at pivotal points in history, from the revision of the Voting Rights Act to the 1987 Supreme Court nomination hearings of Robert Bork.
During the impeachment hearings of President Nixon in 1974, Jordan was a 38-year-old junior Texas congresswoman. During a speech recognized for its political oratory, she reminded listeners of the constitutional agreement made for the collective experiment of democracy. With praise from both political parties, she earned the title of ‘inquisitor.’ Jordan’s political purpose became clear then—to compel people to ask hard questions and face the answers. One week later, Jordan was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. At the height of her career, Jordan left politics but continued in public service as an educator and ethical guide for leaders such as Bill Clinton and Ann Richards.
While Jordan’s political legacy is the center of The Inquisitor, the film also looks at her personal life. Colleagues and friends, as well as the public, learned of her illness only after her death. The Inquisitor explores Jordan's intersectional identity navigating a landscape of politics and discrimination.
