The Trail Of Tears: Cherokee Legacy

This two-hour documentary explores one of the great historical tragedies of America's aboriginal people. In 1830, eager to gain access to lands inhabited by Native Americans, President Andrew Jackson enacted the Indian Removal Act which forced the Cherokee Nation to leave their homeland and to relocate into uncharted territory. Many of these forced settlers suffered from exposure, disease, and starvation, and upon arriving in Indian Territory, they arrived with no past and no future.

Directed by Chip Richie, The Trail Of Tears: Cherokee Legacy leans on a strong ensemble — Wes Studi, Wilma Mankiller, James Earl Jones — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2006.