- Welcome to Independent Lens .
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of Wisconsin Public Television's
Director's Cut .
The city of Baltimore has a troubled past
marked by violence and a soaring murder rate.
There have been some years,
the city has had the highest murder rate in America.
Tonight, we get an in-depth look at the problems
the people of Baltimore face in documentary Charm City .
Charm City was filmed on the streets of Baltimore
over three years as the homicide rate approached a record high.
One character featured in the documentary, Alex Long,
saw his sister die from gun violence.
And his son Joshua has witnessed ten shootings,
seven of which were fatal, on his commutes to school.
During the filming, the tragic death of Freddie Gray,
a young man who died
from injuries sustained while in police custody
put the public's distrust of the law enforcement
at a fever pitch.
Amid all this tension, are concerned community leaders,
law enforcement officers, and a young politician
who come together to try to stop the violence
and change the narrative in this troubled city.
Director Marilyn Ness has a slew of awards on her resume
including two Emmys and a Peabody and in 2016
was awarded the Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival
for Social Impact Filmmaking.
Charm City starts now, on Wisconsin Public Television.
Your home for independent film.