Shadows of Doubt is a complex film about race and rape in a small town in Louisiana. Through the story of one lifer at Angola State Penitentiary and twin sisters struggling to recover from a brutal rape, the film exposes the role of race in a court case and the damage inflicted by rape. Ending with a first time post-trial meeting between the inmate and the victims, the film also examines the fragile process of third party mediation and attempts at restoration for a crime.

In almost every screening to date, Shadows of Doubt has elicited powerful reactions from the audience. Audience sympathy to the story and the characters has tended to fall sharply along racial lines. The inmate, Vincent Simmons, is a black "troublemaker" from a large, poor family in rural Louisiana whose lengthy criminal record dates back to adolescence. The women, Karen and Sharon Sanders‹teenagers at the time of the crime‹are white, middle class and benefited from a cooperative community structure (police department, courts) in the de facto segregated town.

The story the documentary tells is disturbing. So are the questions‹about justice, rehabilitation, fair representation‹it raises. The film touches deep, divisive issues and sets the stage for a discussion about race in America and in the courts. It is also a story about the impact of crime on victims and the difficulty of recovery.

Shadows of Doubt will be part of Gabriel Media's 2000 Filmtalk: Criminal Justice Series. The goal of the program is twofold: to educate audiences about the criminal justice system and to provide creative intervention strategies for at-risk populations. The program will include:

- Screenings and discussions about the themes raised in the film in public high schools, colleges and university campuses.

- Distribution of the film to rape counseling organizations and victims¹ groups around the nation.

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- Characters in the film / about possibility of healing and forgiveness.

- Ashanti Witherspoon, former Angola inmate, current director of community outreach for a half way house in Louisiana (character in the award-winning documentary THE FARM) about the realities of the penal system and the possibility of rehabilitation

- Experts on rape and rehabilitation of victims.

- Experts on race and criminal justice issues.

If you are interested in these programs or can help us develop and/or fund these activities, please contact us: HERE