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about
directors statement
Immediately following the arrest of the NJ4 on August 18th, 2006, and after reading many salacious headlines, I became interested in their case. However, it was the first of many New York Times articles that really gave me pause. “Man is stabbed after admiring a stranger.” I was outraged. This was not a flirtatious interaction. It was harassment and assault.
Initially, I did not set out to document this story. As a white filmmaker, I did not think I should. Instead, I focused on advocating for their legal fees and ultimate release. Yet, as time passed, media interested wanned, and with their appellate trails looming, I wanted to keep their stories centered.
the NJ4
Renata Hill holds a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University in Social Work. She toured the country with the film, speaking at dozens of universities and colleges. She spoke at the 2015 national INCITE! Color Of Violence Conference and the National Convening of Black Lives.
Patreese Johnson is a poet and toured with the film and spoke at the Creating Change Conference and the Sadie Nash Leadership Project. She remains a leader in her community fighting for criminalized survivors and incarcerated women.
Venice Brown received her Cosmetology License in North Carolina where she lives and works with her wife and son. As Venice’s mom says, “Venice would give you the shirt off her back, but do not disrespect her friends.”
Terrain Dandridge lives and works in New Jersey where she dreams of a Newark where youth have accessible and desperately needed resources to live and thrive. In 2015, Terrain spoke at the annual One Billion Been Rising conference.
