The Past Framed As Inheritance

Read Time:5 Minute, 2 Second

PILOR REVIEW
Roots & Relics
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Genre: Documentary, Adventure
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 23 minutes
Director(s): Matthew Avant
Where to Watch: shown at the 2026 Dances with Films New York

RAVING REVIEW: What do we really inherit from the people who came before us, and how much of that inheritance is hiding in plain sight? ROOTS & RELICS builds its entire premise around that question, and rather than racing toward answers, the project takes its time examining the quiet spaces where history settles. This documentary adventure understands that the most meaningful stories of the past are rarely found behind glass cases. They live in barns, attics, homesteads, and the hands of people who have chosen to keep them.

Created by Emmy-winning filmmaker Matthew Avant, ROOTS & RELICS positions itself as something more personal than a traditional history or antiques series. The focus isn’t monetary value or appraisal theatrics. It’s emotional value. Each episode follows host J.D. Hart as he travels across the country, meeting families whose heirlooms echo their ancestors, lost homes, and forgotten chapters of American life. The pilot makes its intentions clear early on: this is a show about people first, objects second.

Hart proves to be a crucial anchor for the series. His presence is friendly, curious, and notably unforced. He approaches each family with respect rather than authority, allowing conversations to unfold naturally. That choice matters. ROOTS & RELICS avoids the trap of positioning its host as an expert dispensing knowledge. Instead, Hart acts as a guide, asking questions that encourage reflection rather than exposition. The result is a tone that feels collaborative rather than extractive.

Avant blends interviews, on-location exploration, archival material, and cinematic dramatizations to create a textured viewing experience. The reenactments are handled with restraint. They’re suggestive rather than overwhelming, designed to add context rather than replace imagination. When the series steps into the past, it does so briefly, always returning to the present-day families who carry the weight of those stories forward.

What sets ROOTS & RELICS apart from similar programming is its refusal to treat history as spectacle. There’s no rush to heighten stakes or manufacture mystery. Instead, the pilot trusts that the accumulated details of a family’s story are compelling enough on their own. That trust gives the series a steady, grounded pace. It may feel deliberate to some viewers, but that deliberateness is intentional. The show understands that legacy isn’t something you rush through.

Without a doubt, the show is at its strongest when it frames heirlooms as responsibility rather than nostalgia. These objects aren’t just reminders of the past; they’re commitments to preservation. Avant’s direction consistently emphasizes stewardship, highlighting how easily stories can disappear if no one takes the time to protect them. The series makes a quiet but persuasive case for why personal history matters, especially in a culture increasingly disconnected from physical memory.

There are moments when ROOTS & RELICS leans toward familiar documentary ideas. Viewers accustomed to faster-paced travel or history series may find the pilot’s measured tone understated. The show is less interested in cliffhangers than in continuity. While that approach suits its subject matter, future episodes will benefit from sharpening the emotional arc in each story to sustain engagement across multiple installments. I’m intrigued by this idea; it may not work for the broader mass media market, but I think it's a welcome take!

The craft on display is confident. Avant’s background in blending documentary with cinematic storytelling is evident throughout. The camera lingers where it should, giving space to faces, hands, and environments that hold meaning beyond their immediate function. The series’ production design never overwhelms its subjects, allowing authenticity to remain central to its aesthetic.

ROOTS & RELICS also succeeds in situating American history as plural rather than monolithic. The stories uncovered are regional, familial, and deeply specific. Together, they suggest a broader national identity built not from a single narrative but from thousands of personal ones. That perspective feels increasingly necessary, especially in a media landscape that often reduces history to headline events.

ROOTS & RELICS establishes a clear identity and a sustainable format if handled correctly. It’s not trying to reinvent documentary storytelling, but it does refine the idea with care and intention. The series understands that not every discovery needs to be extraordinary to be meaningful. Sometimes, the power lies in recognizing the endurance of ordinary people and the objects they choose to protect.

ROOTS & RELICS is best approached as a slow-burning exploration of memory and meaning. It rewards patience, curiosity, and emotional attentiveness. While it may not chase the immediacy that social media tells us we need, it offers something rarer: a reminder that history survives because someone cared enough to keep it.

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