Ava DuVernay Warns Midterms Look Troubling for U.S. Whichever Party Wins

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay says the coming midterm elections could spell trouble for the country no matter which party comes out ahead.

Speaking at the Airbnb.org Gala last week, the Oscar-nominated director offered a blunt assessment. "I think either way we're in trouble," she said. In her view, a Democratic win would draw an outsized response from the administration, and so would a Democratic loss.

DuVernay's newest documentary, "14th," has drawn critical praise and generated awards-season attention. The film examines the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which established birthright citizenship, due process and equal protection under the law.

She said she hopes audiences take something practical from the project. "Folks need to really understand what it means to be a citizen, what it means to fight and to really know your rights," DuVernay said.

Her comments come as Election Day approaches, with two days left before voters finish casting ballots. The Associated Press reported on Oct. 30 that more than 43 million Americans had already voted, either in person during early voting or by returning mail ballots.

Polling suggests Democrats hold an edge. The latest national congressional ballot average shows them ahead of Republicans by 8.2 percentage points, at 51.4 percent to 43.2 percent, according to RealClearPolling.

Many observers widely predict that Democrats will win back control of the House of Representatives. They also have a chance to flip the Senate, though those races are too close to call with the same confidence as the House contests.

Asked what subject her next documentary might take on, DuVernay did not name a project. She pointed instead to the volume of issues demanding attention. "There's so much going on. There's no lack of material or things to look at or advocate for, so we all need to keep our eye on the ball and keep pushing forward," she said.