Director
donnie l. betts
Resisting: The Use Of Force
Featured Documentary
Resisting
Focus
Police Violence / Reform
A grandfather to three Black boys, haunted by the generations lost to police violence, embarks on a gripping exploration of policing in America — starting with the Aurora, Colorado Police Department and expanding to Atlanta, Dallas, Oakland, and other cities — to uncover the systemic roots of brutality, the policies that enable it, and the communities left in its wake.
Resisting is a powerful documentary that demands justice and accountability in the fight for Black lives.
Featured Production
RESISTING — A Documentary Film
RESISTING is a groundbreaking and thought-provoking documentary that meticulously examines the crisis of over-policing and the escalating use of force in the United States. Through its three distinct acts — Present, Historical, and Future — the film dives deep into various facets of the issue, shedding light on its origins, current manifestations, and potential for transformative change.
The film will use letters from families to their lost loved ones as transitions to examine this huge issue.
“Until the killing of Black men, Black mother’s sons become as important to the rest of the country as the killing of a white mother’s sons, we who believe in freedom cannot rest until this happens.”
— Ella Baker
Three Distinct Acts
The structure of RESISTING
Present
Focus on over-policing of marginalized communities, beginning with Aurora and Denver, Colorado. Firsthand accounts from impacted families and expert perspectives from activists and scholars.
Historical
How historical systems of oppression have influenced present-day policing practices. The roots of brutality — policies, police unions, and the lack of accountability.
Future
Potential for transformative change. What reforms and policy changes are needed? How can communities and law enforcement work together to create a safer, more just future?
Core Questions
RESISTING Aims to Explore Several Critical Questions.
RESISTING aims to explore several critical questions, including:
01
What are the underlying factors contributing to over-policing and escalating use of force?
02
How have historical systems of oppression influenced present-day policing practices?
03
What are the mental health and financial costs of police brutality on communities?
04
What reforms and policy changes are needed to address these systemic issues?
05
How can communities and law enforcement work together to create a safer and more just future?
Act I — Present
Communities. Families. Stories.
In the first act, “Present”, RESISTING will focus on the over-policing of marginalized communities, beginning with a particular emphasis on the experiences of families in Aurora and Denver, Colorado. The film will take a poignant and intimate approach, delving into the lives of these families and the profound impact of excessive force by local law enforcement.
By sharing their personal stories, the documentary exposes the devastating consequences of police brutality on individuals and communities. Alongside these firsthand accounts, the film incorporates expert perspectives from activists and scholars who analyze the influence of District Attorneys and police unions, which contribute to the lack of transparency and accountability in policing practices.
Notable Contributors
One notable contributor is former Denver District Attorney Beth McCann, who offers her insights into the complexities of the criminal justice system.
Among the families to be featured (and already interviewed) are the Landau family, who tragically witnessed the aftermath of their son, Alexander Landau, being viciously beaten by the Denver Police for a simple request of seeing a warrant. The film chronicles thru multiple interviews already conducted, Landau’s remarkable journey to becoming the founder of the Denver Justice Project, an organization committed to transforming the criminal legal system through intersectional advocacy.
Another heart-wrenching story explored is that of Michael Marshall, who lost his life in a Denver jail due to the actions of Denver Sheriff Deputies when he was unable to post a $100 bond. The Marshall family’s relentless pursuit of justice and their tireless efforts to reform the Denver Sheriff’s Department and the Denver jail system serve as a testament to their resilience.
Collette Flanagan, Founder, Mothers Against Police Brutality
We would love it if you would support this film. Information at Denverfilm.org support features Resisting
“Until the killing of black men, black mother’s sons, becomes as important to the rest of the country as the killing of a white mother’s sons, we who believe in freedom cannot rest until this happens.”
Questions that need to ask, Why have we historically faced this crisis? There are no easy answers however we have to look at other failures. The crisis in policing is the culmination of a thousand other failures—failures of education, social services, public health, gun regulation, criminal justice, and economic development. Police have a lot in common with firefighters, E.M.T.s, and paramedics: they’re there to help, often at great sacrifice, and by placing themselves in harm’s way. To say that this doesn’t always work out, however, does not begin to cover the size of the problem.
“Resisting” will be told in three acts:
Act 1
Historical
The inception of policing in the United States via slave patrols, Jim Crow, etc. What were slave patrols? (1) to chase down, apprehend, and return to their owners, runaway slaves; (2) to provide a form of organized terror to deter slave revolts; and, (3) to maintain a form of discipline for slave-workers subject to summary justice, outside the law. — from historian Gary Potter.
Act 2
Present
The over-policing of marginalized communities, escalating use of force, the influence of District Attorneys and police unions, and the lack of transparency and accountability. Personal stories: Alexander Landau beaten by Denver PD for asking for a warrant. Michael Marshall choked and killed in a Denver jail — unable to post a $100 bond. The Bonner family — Jamaal Bonner shot three times in the back in a motel room in Aurora. No officers faced charges.
Act 3
Future
The mental health cost, financial cost to cities, and long-range trauma. Reform, reset, and rethinking policing in communities. How communities and law enforcement can work together to create a safer, more just future.
We are tired of hashtags and justice for none. This documentary goes beyond the tag lines, the news highlight reels, and the investigative journalism frenzy. “Resisting” brings forward the visceral stories, from across America, told by the heartbroken families of brutalized and murdered victims of police violence. We tie together the tragedies at a personal level and the systemic oppression of communities that have been marginalized by the misuse of power in our law enforcement agencies, from the bottom up. However, this film will also explore the hope that communities and law enforcement have for the future of policing.
Resisting will utilize a multitude of visual elements including the use of family photos of victims and survivors, cell phone footage, animation as transitions mural art, audio soundscape, dance, and spoken word as mediums of expression. To produce this film, at this time, fills an urgent need: as a local and global community, we are grappling with the impact of racism, inequality, and the resulting dissension and unrest. We will discuss the mental health multiple negative impacts that stem from the use of force on the community, on families, the cost to cities and their citizens, and on the police locally and nationally. How many more people have to die before we have the moral backbone to say no more? This has to stop.
Qualified immunity shields police and government officials from liability by requiring proof that an official violated “clearly established law” — putting the burden on victims to find an identical court case that found the action unconstitutional. This key element of the architecture of impunity amplifies police power and keeps them above the law and disproportionately impacts those targeted by law enforcement: people of color, Black people, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, unhoused individuals, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
The film will feature an open and honest dialogue between law enforcement and the community, including multiple community members who have been directly impacted by the use of force. Specifically, we will highlight the long-term mental health impacts and financial, psychological, and moral effects that police violence has, including PTSD, depression, divorce, etc. “Resisting” will reach white communities and/or allies to educate and inspire them toward holding policymakers, police, and community members accountable. Escalating the use of force by representatives of the law, against community members, affects us all.
Production Details
Timeline, Budget & How to Help.
Timeline
Pre-Production & Research:
2021 – 2025
Production:
Late 2025
Post Production:
2025 – 2026
Budget
Gross Budget:
$467,000
Budget Gap to Date:
$325,000
Contact Info:
donnie.betts@gmail.com
Fiscal Sponsorship — Donation Link:
https://www.denverfilm.org/resisting/
Support Resisting Confronting the Brutality, Demanding Justice.
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