Jonathan Demme Presents: Brothers of the Black List

“This unflinching and beautifully made documentary bears witness, from a fresh perspective, to the failure of our most honored institutions to help turn the tide on this persistent, chronically American social dynamic.” (Jonathan Demme)

September 4, 1992: An elderly woman in a small town in upstate New York reports an attempted rape by a young black man who cut his hand during the altercation. While looking for suspects, police contact officials at SUNY Oneonta, a nearby college, and a school administrator reacts by handing over a list of names and residences of 125 black male students. For the next several days, those students are tracked down and interrogated by various police departments under a presumption of guilty until proven innocent.

Q&A filmmaker Sean Gallagher, film subjects Kirk Allen, Hopeton Gordon, Sheryl Champen with Jonathan Demme. A filmmaker & editor based out of Westchester, New York., Sean Gallagher was a recipient of the 2008 Merit for ‘Artistic Contribution to Social Justice’ by the SUNY Oneonta Department of Africana & Latino Studies. In the Spring of 2011, he was chosen by Westchester Magazine as one of “Westchester’s Wunderkinds,” professionals under the age of 30 noted for their ideas, ambitions and community involvement.