Draft:Public Defender(2024 Film)

Public Defender Movie Poster

Public Defender Poster

Public Defender (film)

Synopsis

Public Defender is a film produced by Spark Media, following the career of Heather Shaner, a defense attorney in Washington, D.C., known for her distinctive blue hair and dedication to representing clients who cannot afford legal counsel. Over her 40-year career, Shaner's commitment is tested when she is assigned to represent Jack Griffith, a social media influencer, and Annie Howell, a single mother and painter, both charged for their involvement in the January 6th Capitol riot. As Shaner learns more about her clients, she discovers they were influenced by misinformation and believed they were defending democracy.

The film explores the state of U.S. democracy, the forces threatening it, and the individuals dedicated to its protection. Through the interactions between Shaner and her clients, the film reveals how people can bridge divides and find common humanity in a polarized political environment.

Characters

• Heather Shaner: Well-known within the Washington, D.C. legal community, Heather Shaner is a septuagenarian with distinctive blue bangs who eschews suits, hugs prosecutors, and babysits for her clients. The Capitol attack forced her to reckon with her own anger and hurt over the events of January 6, 2021. Shaner is passionate about prompting her clients' curiosity and deepening their understanding of history, not just to influence a judge's verdict but to open their hearts and minds long after their trials and sentences.
• Annie Howell: A whip-smart Pennsylvanian with a knack for politicking, Annie Howell's life fell apart when she joined the Capitol attack. She lost her job and home after serving 60 days in jail for her role in the insurrection. She now divides her time between a motel room and the library, fighting for custody of her son and trying to rebuild her life. Convinced that America was becoming a socialist dystopia, Howell was driven by fear in the months leading up to January 6. Emerging from this political trance is painful but rewarding as she sheds old relationships and makes new ones, including with herself.
• Jack Jesse Griffith: Charismatic and eccentric, Jack Jesse Griffith is an aspiring musician, video game developer, and social media influencer who goes by the pseudonym Liberty Dragon. With red and blue dyed hair, large dragon earrings, and a colorful wardrobe, Griffith stands out in a crowd. Sentenced to three months of home confinement followed by three years of probation, he still believes the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump and hopes to use his January 6 notoriety to market a Trump action video game he’s producing.

Production and Premiere

The film was produced in association with the Pulitzer Center. and with support from a Commitment Grant from Mountainfilm. Public Defender will premiere at Mountainfilm and will have its East Coast premiere at DC/DOX

Partners

Pulitzer Center

The Pulitzer Center has a bold vision: to be the venue for the world’s most innovative and consequential reporting, with journalism as the key element for mobilizing society through audience engagement strategies. Founded in 2006, the Center is an essential source of support for enterprise reporting in the United States and across the globe. The thousands of journalists and educators who are part of their networks span more than 80 countries, reaching tens of millions of people each year through news-media partners and an audience-centered strategy of global and regional engagement.

Program on Extremism at George Washington University

Founded in 2015, the Program on Extremism at George Washington University has quickly become a leading research center on all forms of extremism. The Program spearheads innovative and thoughtful academic inquiry, producing empirical work and developing pragmatic policy solutions that resonate with policymakers, civic leaders, and the general public. Its partnerships with some of the world’s most prominent universities, think tanks, media outlets, and governmental agencies are a testament to the Program’s research quality, independence, and innovative approach.

Media and Peacebuilding Project

The Media and Peacebuilding Project at George Washington University seeks to understand the constantly developing communication landscape and the unique challenges for human security and peace that have emerged as a result. The project works with researchers and practitioners to find solutions that lead to just and peaceful outcomes, focusing on the challenges posed by today's information environment and the opportunities for reaching the masses instantaneously over modern communication networks.