A gathering of old men (1987)

A regular day in a Louisiana sugarcane plantation changes course when a local white farmer is shot. A group of old, black men takes a courageous step by coming forward en masse to take responsibility for the killing of a white racist, whom one of their members has shot. As the sheriff confronts the suspects, the young plantation owner stands alone in her daring defense of this group of men, provoking racial tension that makes a compelling drama.

Director: Volker Schlöndorff
Writers: Ernest J. Gaines (novel), Charles Fuller (screenplay)
Stars: Louis Gossett Jr., Richard Widmark and Holly Hunter

IMDB