Investigative documentaries are some of the most interesting films you can watch. There’s no need to create artificial drama, as the subjects are real, and you can’t help but get swept up in the investigation. Basically, everyone loves to be a sleuth, even as a member of the audience. On paper, “Seeking Mavis Beacon” has all the makings of a great investigative documentary—wonderful characters, an intriguing mystery at the center, and plenty of twists and turns. But Jazmin Renée Jones’ feature debut is so much more than that. It’s a surprising documentary that takes a mystery about an unsung hero and turns it into a fascinating deep dive into how Women of Color are often marginalized, exploited, and ultimately, forgotten.
READ MORE: Sundance 2024: The 23 Most Anticipated Movies To Watch
If you’re a person of a certain age, Mavis Beacon is probably a name you know. It’s the name of the woman featured in the educational software, “Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing.” It’s a software that has been used by millions of people, businesses, and schools for years to help people learn about computers through typing games. But for many People of Color, the software meant so much more, as it offered a picture of Black excellence with Mavis Beacon, a beautiful, dark-skinned woman on the front cover (and throughout the learning experience on screen). But not only is Mavis Beacon not a real person, but she’s actually a regular woman named Renée L’Espérance, who was hired by white businessmen to be the face of a product and never given the recognition she deserved. Then, she disappeared and wasn’t heard from for decades. That’s where filmmaker Jones and her friend/producer, Olivia McKayla Ross, come in.
Jones is the filmmaking brain and the passionate driving force behind the investigation, giving her a unique perspective as a young Black artist who was inspired by the idea of Mavis Beacon at a young age. On the other hand, Ross is a coding prodigy who has been deeply involved with computers since she was young. She found Mavis Beacon to be an inspiration as a young Black girl who was interested in computers but didn’t see many people who looked like her in that field. Right from the beginning, you can see just how these young women aren’t just here for a juicy story about what happened to L’Espérance after becoming Mavis Beacon, but Jones and Ross want to celebrate the woman as a Black icon while also not shying away from the complicated history surrounding the software.
Thankfully, the investigative aspect of this story is excellent. Early on, you can’t help but get swept up in the stunning revelations. The joy on the faces of Jones and Ross when they get a break in the case is infectious. Your jaw will hit the floor when you find out the real history of how L’Espérance was hired years ago. And you will desperately want to know what happened to the woman over the years. Did she go back to Haiti, as the white businessmen claim? Did she pass away, or maybe she’s just disinterested in making a public appearance?
However, early on in “Seeking Mavis Beacon,” it becomes abundantly clear the real story of this documentary is about marginalized artists and what it means to be a Black woman in society, as these two young women go out of their way to showcase an incredibly diverse and compelling group of subjects, who speak about artistry, racism, and general bigotry. While this is all intriguing and unique, it halts the investigation’s momentum and sometimes derails the film’s train of thought. These would be beautiful digressions in another project, but they feel a bit out of place in this film.
Then you have the end of the film. Without going into spoilers, the end of “Seeking Mavis Beacon” is poignant and disappointing. It gives this surprising, unusual film an equally unique denouement. Unfortunately, it all feels a little lacking.
That said, none of these flaws make for a terrible film. In fact, “Seeking Mavis Beacon” is one of the most interesting and thoughtful docs you’ll likely see all year. It also feels a bit scattershot and unfocused at times. However, the experience of watching Jones and Ross grow and change as artists and people throughout the investigation is worth the price of admission alone. [B]
Follow along for all our coverage of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.