Gideons army featurette meet the artists 20 interview with director dawn porter for gideons army which will premiere at the 20 sundance film festival. Wainwright, the landmark us supreme court decision that gave every citizen the fundamental right to legal representation in a criminal case even if he or she cannot afford it. Its title comes from gideon v wainwright, which required that indigent criminal defendants be offered counsel a. Most states responded by creating offices for public defenders to defend poor people charged with serious crimes. Three young, idealistic public defenders in the deep south struggle against long hours, low pay and staggering caseloads to ensure justice is served for americas forgotten poor.
Long hours, low pay and staggering caseloads are so common that even the most committed often give up. Overall, gideons army is an eyeopening insight into a judicial hellhole world that ordinary citizens can never imagine. Gideons army and the best attorney there is by win jordan on jul 23, 20 2. Documentary competition, gideon s army follows a group of idealistic young public defenders in the deep south, where lawyers face particularly difficult challenges due to high bonds, minimum mandatory sentencing and a culture that is. Jun 11, 20 documentary gideons army debuts july 1 on hbo.
The film tells the story of the daily heroism of public defenders. Directed by attorney dawn porter and winner of the 20 sundance film festival editing award for u. His clients are poor, theyre desperate, theyre often guilty of the crimes theyre accused of. From initial bidding to completion of projects, kristi prepares estimates. The film, which was directed by john ford, was adapted from john creasey s novel of the same name.
Gideons army official soundtrack by paul brill, released 28 february 20 1. This award celebrates audience award winners from across the top 50 us and canadian film festivals. Rentals include 30 days to start watching this video and 48 hours to. Dawn porter documents the struggles of public defenders in the south in gideon s army. Gideon s army takes the first word of its title from gideon vs.
Jan 23, 20 gideon s army like the film itself, dawn porter s handful of devoted, charismatic attorneys do a righteous job of reminding people that the accused are innocent until proven guilty, and that the. It was released in the united states as gideon of scotland yard. Hbos gideons army looks at three defenders of the poor npr. Gideon s army follows travis williams, brandy alexander and june hardwick, three young public defenders who are part of a small group of idealistic lawyers in the deep south challenging the. Jul 03, 20 gideons army focuses primarily upon the lives of three public defenders in the american south.
Gideons army is a 20 documentary film about three public defenders in the southern united states. Code switch hbo documentary gideons army follows three public defenders working to give their clients the best representation while. Gideons army, a powerful documentary film that follows the work of three public. October 17, 20 for all the harrowing truth here, about race and poverty and justice, the film is brisk and tight, alive with everyday detail and flashes of humor.
Were his reduced army of 10,000 to conqueror them in spite of such great numerical superiority, the 10,000 would be acclaimed mighty men of valor. He is the last thing that stands between the accused and the destruction of their lives. Case loads hitting the triple digits, little to no pay and even less respect, these three men and women are working for those who truly need their help. Our mission is to act collectively, boldly and strategically as a unified force for all children. With only 15,000 in service nationwide, the movie drives home the point that public defenders, like water, are a resource that should not be squandered. Documentary competition at the 20 sundance film festival. Gideons army, a film by dawn porter which portrays the lives of three young public defenders working in the south, opens this years full frame documentary festival in durham on april 4, 20, at 7. Gideon s army is in the running for the gotham independent film awards audience award. Titled trapped, in the filmmakers words, heres a summary of what the film tackles. A film for pbs about the spy network set up by mississippi.
Defending the underclass, in gideons army the new york times. Gideons army confronts this crisis headon, tracking a group of young southern public defenders hellbent on protecting the sanctity of human liberty. He could not afford a lawyer to defend him in court, and after a hasty trial, he was convicted. I am sure all three scenarios surface in this 97 minute film. Gideon s army the film dawn porters documentary gideon s army will soon appear on hbo. With the law providing that the accused have a right to a lawyer, and by implication a day in court, the united states. She is also line producer for spies of mississippi, currently in production for arte germany and pbs. The toughest place to be a public defender is the american south, and that just so happens to be where dawn porters documentary gideons army takes place. Cristen became an accidental expert on the abuse of women in maternity care as the point person for thousands of obstetric violence survivors and witnesses during her time as vice president of national consumer organization improving birth.
Fifty years ago, clarence earl gideon was charged with breaking into a pool hall. The film depicts the three public defenders in an honest way that humanizes the difficulty and importance of what they do. Gideon s army is a straightforward, eyeopening snapshot at the uncelebrated, but incredibly crucial work done by a relatively invisible population comprised of government employees. Opinion true believers in justice the new york times. The film profiles several attorneys working as public defenders in the south. Like the film itself, porters handful of devoted, charismatic attorneys do a righteous job of reminding people that the accused are innocent until. Gideons army and the best attorney there is mockingbird.
Had gideon accepted his fate, hed have been imprisoned for five years. This is gideons army trailer by dawn porter on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. Public defenders are attorneys that are employed by public entities, usually counties, to assist clients who can not afford to hire an attorney. Gideons army 20 dawn porter cast and crew allmovie. It was featured last night by john oliver on the daily show. The film was awarded the editing prize at the festival, and premiered on jan. Code switch hbo documentary gideons army follows three public defenders working to give their clients the best representation while juggling hundreds of cases for little compensation. So, its no wonder that with her first docu feature she approaches the legal.
Gideons army was released by hbo films earlier this year. A version of this article appears in print on june 28, 20, section c, page 12 of the. Gideons army is an eyeopening insight into a judicial hellhole world that ordinary citizens can never imagine. By way of conclusion, i note that, ironically, it is fiscal strainthe reality of. Gideon s day originally released in the united states as gideon of scotland yard is a 1958 police procedural crime film starring jack hawkins, dianne foster and cyril cusack.
I tried a dozen or so drug busts, purse snatching, armed robbery, and homicide cases as a public. Though the midianite army was vast, perhaps 5,000 or more 8. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing gideons army near you. Gideon s army is coordinating numerous volunteer opportunities jumping off at various. Gideons army is a documentary film that tears the rusted lid off of the justice system to expose the hidden truths behind why lady justice wears a tear stained. A study of the life of gideon from the standpoint of lessons of faith for disciples.
Jun 30, 20 hbos gideons army looks at three defenders of the poor. Gideon s army like the film itself, dawn porters handful of devoted, charismatic attorneys do a righteous job of reminding people that the accused are innocent until proven guilty, and that the. Jul 01, 20 directed by dawn porter, gideons army follows the story of three different public defenders who are doing their best against the steepest of odds. But gideon did challenge his conviction all the way to the supreme court. Though unplanned by porter and her media people, the film s showing here roughly coincides with the 50th. We are excited that gideon s army is nominated for a gotham audience award. Gideons army follows travis williams, brandy alexander and june hardwick, three young public defenders who are part of a small group of idealistic lawyers in the deep south challenging the assumptions that drive a criminal justice system strained to the breaking point. Wainwright, in which it was ruled that all criminal defenders are entitled to proper council even if they cannot afford it. Gideons army centers on public defenders in the south devoted to seeking the best. We eliminate the root causes of the prison pipeline. Examines the storys context in the period of the judges, the conquest of canaan, gideon s victory over the midianites and amalakites, and his final setting up of a gold ephod which became a. In addition to her work with trilogy, she was production manager and 2nd assistant director for concussion, a feature selected for us dramatic competition at the 20 sundance film festival. In 1963, the us supreme court decided the landmark case of gideon v. Gideons army follows travis williams, brandy alexander and june hardwick.
Celebrating free defense for all sf public defender. A former public affairs professional, director cristen pascucci is the founder of birth monopoly and an activist for human rights in childbirth. The gideons international is the result of a meeting between two men who wished to band commercial travelers together for evangelism. Five nominees will be chosen from online audiences to proceed to the next round. Gideons army and the central theme of poverty by cara h. The film also features jonathan rapping and the folks at gideons promise known formerly as the southern public defender training center, who appear to serve as equal parts mentors, senseis. In 20, we will celebrate gideons 50th anniversary by. June 27, 20 the title of dawn porter s stirring documentary, gideons army, refers to the legion of idealistic public defenders fighting for equal justice in a land where not. Gideon s army shows us the fearsome odds defenders like williams face. Feb 27, 2014 more than 7 million americans are in jail, on probation or on parole. Gideon s army the 20 movie, trailers, videos and more at yidio.
Find movie and film cast and crew information for gideon s army 20 dawn porter on allmovie. Gideon s army is a 20 documentary film about three public defenders in the southern united states. Documentary gideons army debuts july 1 on hbo tv by the. Brandy alexander is a public defender in the film gideons army. Documentary competition at the 20 sundance film festival, gideons army follows a group of idealistic young public defenders in the deep south, where lawyers face particularly difficult challenges due to high bonds, minimum mandatory sentencing and a culture that is traditionally tough on crime. Gideons army follows travis williams, brandy alexander, and june hardwick, three public defenders. In her new film gideons army, which will open this years full frame documentary festival in durham on april 4 and air publicly on hbo this summer, lawyerturnedfilmmaker dawn porter follows the daytoday challenges of three young public defenders working in the deep south. Wainwright, which required that indigent criminal defendants be offered counsel at trial. Gideons army follows travis williams, brandy alexander and june hardwick, three. What began in 1908 as an association of christian businessmen placing bibles in hotel rooms has evolved into an expanding mission to provide scriptures to all people in nearly every facet of life. The film received the ridenhour documentary film prize in 2014, as well as the candescent award at the 20 sundance film festival. Gideons army 20 new zealand international film festival. The soldiers of gideons army, dawn porters stirring debut documentary, are public defenders lawyers who dedicate themselves to representing the indigent, and regularly answering the question, how can you defend those people. Porter shines a much deserved light on these unsung civil rights heroes of our time.
Gideons army norm deguerre justice, legal, public defender july 3, 20 july 4, 20 6 minutes when assistant public defender travis williams promised the camera that he would tattoo the name of every client who lost at jury trial on his back, my first thought was, hes going to run out of room. More than 7 million americans are in jail, on probation or on parole. A new documentary from dawn porter director of 2 excellent documentary features previously covered on this blog gideon s army and spies of mississippi made its world premiere at the sundance film festival in park city, ut, last month, where it won a special jury award. Nashvillebased cinematographer patrick sheehan began working in film and video production in 1998, making his first documentary film in 2004. Porters film is dramatic, unsettling, despairing, and in the end thrilling at some point, it grows from a portrait of this countrys problems into a celebration of a possible solution. Jun 12, 20 directed by attorney dawn porter and winner of the 20 sundance film festival editing award for u. The movie s title comes from the 1963 supreme court. Shargel looks at hbos gideons army and the task facing americas public defenders. Gideons army premiered at the 20 sundance film festival where it won the best editing award. The movie also points out the flaws in our justice system, just in case you werent already outraged about that. The film follows the private and professional lives of three public defenders, revealing the extreme pressure under which they work, the. The title of the film refers to the landmark case of gideon v.
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