SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office has partnered with production companies EVEN/ODD and Compound to create a cinematic project that captures unseen perspectives within the U.S. justice system, bringing forward stories that rarely reach the public. Working together as The Adachi Project, the team released three short films in a series titled DEFENDER — Off the Record, each following a former client of the Public Defender’s Office.
“Off the Record — Sal” follows a man named Sal who, after being paroled from a California state prison, was suddenly transferred to an immigration detention center. The short film details Sal’s path to freedom, assisted tirelessly by his public defenders. Sal is a visual artist, husband and counselor who is still waiting for his deportation pardon application to be approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“Off the Record — Prezi” takes viewers with Prezi to Hunters Point, a neighborhood with a negative reputation. Today, he is a rapper, devoted father and community role model who found a renewed sense of responsibility after beating a case with the help of a public defender.
“Off the Record — Julia” depicts the experience of Julia, an Aztec dancer and community advocate. Having been impoverished and incarcerated in her youth, she aims to connect with and educate her 13-year-old daughter and other young women to find their full potential.
After the movies were screened, the film subjects and filmmakers from EVEN/ODD joined San Francisco’s elected Public Defender Mano Raju for a panel conversation moderated by Bay Area film director and musician Boots Riley.
On the importance of The Adachi Project, Raju said, “As public defenders, we represent people whose humanity is too often flattened and whose identities become defined by the system. That’s why we work with incredible filmmakers to bring our clients’ multi-dimensional stories to life on their own terms.”
The Adachi Project was named after former San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi, himself an award-winning documentary filmmaker. The project aims to shed light on real stories and improve public understanding of the impact of justice.
EVEN/ODD founder Mohammad Gorjestani stated, “As community members and storytellers, it would be an abdication of our skills and expertise to see need within our community and not answer that call. We’re proud to continue to support The Adachi Project as it fights to both spread understanding and its vision for an equal and just society.”
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