Douglas, a young African-American boy living in Norfolk, VA in 1915, desires to go to the newly released film "The Birth of a Nation". He discovers that the only place showing the film is a "white's only" cinema that refuses to let him inside. He also discovers protesters outside of the theatre, and a Chinese couple that don't quite fit into either side of the racial divide. Eventually he finds a way inside, but as he watches the film wonder dissipates into disillusionment as he is confronted with racism on the big screen. He finds new hope, however, in an open theatre presenting more uplifting material.