Seeking Mavis Beacon is not your grandmother’s documentary is immediately what I tell director Jazmine Jones and Olivia McKayla Ross discussed their new project, Seeking Mavis Beacon. Jazmine shared that they’re embracing the term “film” for the project and are curious to see how people respond to it. Whether you call it a film or documentary, Seeking Mavis Beacon is a breath of fresh air in the world of non-fiction storytelling.

The film follows Jazmine and Olivia on their journey to uncover what happened to tech icon Mavis Beacon, whose real name is Renee L’Esperance, a Haitian model discovered in a Saks Fifth Avenue in Los Angeles. She became the face of Mavis Beacon, the typing software many of us remember from the ’80s and ’90s. If you grew up in that era, you might recall Mavis Beacon as the poised Black woman on the cover of the software, smiling regally.

Jazmine and Olivia, determined to give Renee her long-overdue recognition, take on the case like detectives straight out of a classic early 2000s show, with a vibe reminiscent of Scooby-Doo meets True Detective.

Without giving away too much, whether or not Jazmine and Olivia find Renee is part of what makes Seeking Mavis Beacon so delightful to watch. The film is both artistic and cool, filled with moments of raw vulnerability.

Check out my full interview with Jazmine and Olivia below.

Seeking Mavis Beacon is in theaters now.

Pros: Unique documentary, captivating story
Cons: Some audiences may be unsettled by the open-ended conclusion.