Those who attended Tuesday evening’s screening of the documentary film “Natchez” in Columbus may have been struck with the notion that it could just as easily have been a screening of “Columbus” held in Natchez.

Columbus, along with Natchez and Vicksburg, has the deepest connections with 19th Century Mississippi by virtue of the abundance of historic homes and buildings that predate the Civil War, an event which forever changed a civilization “gone with the wind,” as novelist Margaret Mitchell put it.

The story of the city of Natchez in that time period and how it is now being interpreted is the story of Columbus, too.

“Natchez” examines how the town grapples with its complex history of slavery while maintaining a thriving tourism industry based on antebellum nostalgia.

Filmmaker Suzzanah Herbert’s documentary has played to critical reviews earning “best documentary” honors at numerous film festivals, including the prestigious Tribeca Festival.

Columbus was the fourth of seven screenings across Mississippi. Tuesday’s event at the Fant Library on the MUW campus included a screening of the 86-minute film followed by a roundtable that included Herbert, producer Darcy McKinnon and Natchez tour guide operator Tracey “Rev” Collins along with Hunt Museum director Laverne Green-Leech and MSMS teacher Chuck Yarborough, who served as moderator.

As is common with documentaries, “Natchez” has had a limited release, beginning in January. If you weren’t able to attend a screening, you won’t have to wait long to see it. “Natchez” is set to air on PBS on May 11 as part of its acclaimed “Independent Lens” series.

The farther we are removed from an event, the simpler the narrative becomes. The details become obscured by time until, in some cases, all that remains is a caricature.

“Natchez” captures the clash between history and memory. It focuses on the town’s cottage industry of antebellum tourism—where historic plantations host events like weddings and tours—while local Black leaders and activists work to correct the record, highlight the reality of slavery and bring the Black narrative to attention. The story of Natchez cannot be accurately and completely told without including that missing narrative.

That’s something people in Columbus began to realize in 2019, when historic homeowners founded the Preservation Society of Columbus with the goal of pursuing a more inclusive telling of the city’s history. Previously, that history focused almost exclusively on the white narrative represented by the city’s historic buildings, primarily through the annual Spring Pilgrimage. The Preservation Society’s goal is to broaden Columbus’ history beyond the antebellum era to include other times and other neighborhoods, including the city’s Black neighborhoods that date back to the 19th Century.

What the story of “Natchez” tells is that the old way of addressing its history has become stale, predictable, not much more than a gaudy roadside attraction.

Fortunately, that is something Columbus has come to understand as well.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.