WILLIAM KUNSTLER: DISTURBING THE UNIVERSE

IMPACT:

William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe” was completed in 2009. The film  premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, screened in over 40 other festivals, was released theatrically in 26 cities, and opened the 2010 season of POV, the award-winning documentary series on PBS. Whenever possible, Emily and Sarah traveled with the film, participating in post-screening Q&A sessions. Yusef Salaam, Kunstler's client and one of five young men exonerated after spending years in prison for the Central Park Jogger rape, also participated in post-screening discussions. The audience response was tremendous - viewers asked questions about the process of making the film, particularly about how the sisters combined their personal story with their father's history and the history of the legal cases and social and political movements covered in the film. Most importantly, these post-screening conversations got audiences talking about "disturbing the universe" in their own lives - about what it means to take a principled stand for one's beliefs even when you are the only one standing, and the important issues of today that are worth standing for. The film has been incorporated in a number of law school orientations and curriculums, and Emily and Sarah are currently working to promote its educational use. It is currently available on DVD and is streaming on Netflix.