Plot Synopsis

Directed by filmmaker Li Lu, A TOWN CALLED VICTORIA is a three-part documentary that follows the aftermath and investigations into the fire to answer the question of how a multifaith community can come together to turn against hate. The series chronicles the stories of Ajrami, Rachid, and Hashmi as they reckon with the incident and seek to restore their sacred space, while reflecting on the journeys they took to find acceptance as Muslim Americans in a conservative Christian small town. The day after the fire, as the leaders survey the site of the destroyed mosque, over 500 Victorians gather to stage a peace rally and express their support. Within a week, a GoFundMe campaign created by Rachid to rebuild the mosque goes viral and raises more than $1 million, and the story of Victoria makes headlines around the world as a parable of togetherness in dark times. Eventually, the camera crews leave and Victoria fades from the national spotlight, and the south Texas town starts to face difficult questions about its own identity, particularly when a local resident is arrested for burning the mosque. Members of its tight-knit community -- activists, preachers, worshippers, students, teachers, and leaders -- gather to grapple with the town's deep-seated religious, political, racial, and economic rifts, seeking a collective way forward. The series weaves together community member interviews and newscast reportings of the incident, as well as animated sequences based on official transcripts, trial sketches, and eyewitness accounts, to paint a picture of the harrowing events that took place in Victoria, and how its people came together afterward. The three-parter offers viewers an intimate, real-time look at the raw emotions of those involved as events unfold. PBS Passport Members were able to stream all episodes of the series a month early on the PBS App beginning October 14. A TOWN CALLED VICTORIA officially debuted on Monday, November 13, 2023 on PBS as part of the INDEPENDENT LENS Stories for Justice initiative, which aims to spotlight films and series that foster further dialogue and reform around criminal justice in the United States. The three one-hour episodes debuted over two nights:

"The Fire" & "The Suspect" (Monday, November 13, 2023 at 9-11pm): The South Texas town of Victoria faces difficult questions about its own identity after a local mosque is burned to the ground and the city is thrown into the national spotlight.

"The Trial" (Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 10-11pm): As the trial concludes, the people of Victoria, Texas, grapple with shocking revelations.