Trailer for Compelling ‘A Town Called Victoria’ Doc Series from Texas
by Alex Billington
October 17, 2023
Source: YouTube
“All we can focus on is the rehabilitation of our congregation.” PBS has unveiled an official trailer for a documentary series called A Town Called Victoria, made by the filmmaker Li Lu, who grew up in Sugar Land, Texas. It’s set for release in November as a three-part doc series, streaming soon after its TV premiere on PBS this fall. It recently premiered at the 2023 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival this month. When the local mosque is burned to the ground in an apparent hate crime, the town of Victoria, TX, must overcome its age-old political, racial, economic divides to find the right way forward. Some will remember hearing about this in the news – the fire occurred in early 2017. “After a mosque is burned to the ground in a small Texas town, residents rally to support the local Muslim community… But is this an inspiring news story or something far more nuanced and complicated? This intricately woven, fascinating 3-part docuseries tells the full story.” Another story about America confronting its inherent xenophobia and hate. View below.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for PBS’ doc series A Town Called Victoria, direct from YouTube:
A Texas town is thrown into the national spotlight when the local mosque erupts in flames. After decades of harmony, the small Muslim community of Victoria watches their cherished place of worship reduced to ash. With the fire ruled an arson & a local man arrested as the suspect, this small South Texas town must confront its own troubled history and its consequences in the present. From the trial of the suspect to the rebuilding of the mosque, this documentary presents a nuanced portrait of a community confronting hate in its own midst, and grappling with deep-seated racial, religious, political, and economic rifts to find a collective way forward. A Town Called Victoria is a PBS doc series created & directed by filmmaker Li Lu, director of the film There Is a New World Somewhere previously, plus a director on “The Resident” and “Echoes” series. Produced by Anthony Pedone and Li Lu. A Reel South and Independent Lens Original Series; A Time and Place and Film Exchange Production. PBS will debut this three-part doc series A Town Called Victoria on PBS starting November 13th & 14th, 2023 this fall. For info, visit the official website.