Before the era of smartphones and instant access to technology, using a computer meant mastering a keyboard. And that required more than just hitting the right keys—it demanded skill, speed, and precision. For many, learning how to type efficiently became a necessity, which is why Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing emerged as a groundbreaking tool, teaching both children and adults the art of typing in a rapidly digitizing world.

Released in 1987, the program quickly became essential, selling over six million copies by 1999. The face of the product was an elegant Black woman everyone assumed to be Mavis Beacon herself. But, as it turned out, the real woman on the box was Haitian model Renee L'Esperance, hired by the program's creators, who paid her a mere $500 for her likeness. While Mavis Beacon became a household name, L'Esperance faded from public view. In Seeking Mavis Beacon, a new documentary directed by Jazmin Jones, the film sets out to trace what became of L'Esperance. Along the way, it evolves into a powerful exploration of identity, the exploitation of Black women, surveillance, feminism, and more.

“When I say that she is one of the most influential figures in technology, I'm not lying,” says Jones, a Bay Area native now based in Brooklyn. Like millions of others, Jones learned to type through Mavis Beacon, and as a young Black girl, seeing Mavis' face on her screen was empowering. For her, the character symbolized a doorway into the digital world, a space historically unwelcoming to women, especially Black women. Her admiration for Mavis Beacon inspired the documentary, initially meant to honor the icon’s legacy. However, the story quickly became more complex.

“I do see parallels between her and Henrietta Lacks and the way she became a blueprint for all of the technology that we continue to use today,” Jones explains. “I love discussing representational politics, identity, intersectionality, and media critique, and applying that lens [to this story]. I’m someone who loves true crime, but ethically, it didn’t sit right with me. So [Seeking Mavis Beacon] became a question of how to create an investigative documentary that’s whimsical, magical, and colorful without feeling gross by the end.”

Seeking Mavis Beacon plays out like a vibrant detective story. Jones, along with her partner in the investigation, Olivia McKayla Ross, embarks on a tech-savvy, immersive journey to track down L'Esperance. While the film has the suspenseful tone of true-crime documentaries, it offers so much more—posing sharp, thought-provoking questions about Mavis Beacon’s role and the broader implications of her image. Viewers are left to ponder: How did L'Esperance feel about selling her likeness to a product that made millions while she received so little? What does it say about a Black woman in a secretarial role helping others succeed in technology while she remains in the shadows? And, most intriguingly, what if she doesn't want to be found?

“There were other typing programs on the market,” Jones tells BET.com. “But this one stood out not just because it had a beautiful Haitian woman on the cover, but because it was a genuinely good game.” Seeking Mavis Beacon elevates the character as a trailblazer—an Afrotech ancestor who paved the way for modern avatars like Siri. “I think there’s a reason I played this game endlessly as a child—it’s hard to make learning fun. So many people, Black, white, whatever, learned how to communicate, express themselves, and hold down jobs because of this game.”

Yet, the film doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable truths behind the beloved icon. In a poignant scene, Jones tears up as she explains to the game’s white creators just how much Mavis meant to her growing up. But the documentary also uncovers troubling details: L'Esperance’s exploitation, the lack of permissions, and a mysterious lawsuit that may explain her disappearance from the public eye. This gripping, eye-opening journey forces viewers to think critically about representation in tech, how the past shapes the present, and the enduring legacy of Black resistance—even in virtual spaces.

“This film is about confronting the limitations of representational politics,” Jones says. “Yes, we need to diversify the tech field, and yes, we need Black faces in high places, but what happens when the same issues still exist in those spaces? I want viewers to ask more questions than I answer.”

Seeking Mavis Beacon premiered at Sundance in January and began showing in select theaters nationwide in September.