On April 30th, 2014, Dontre Hamilton, an unarmed, schizophrenic black man dozing in a Milwaukee park, was shot 14 times in broad daylight by a police officer responding to a non-emergency complaint from a Starbucks employee. This emotionally and politically charged documentary traces the events surrounding his tragic death, focusing on the Hamilton family as they grieve and work for justice. When rising tensions in the the city’s black community led to large-scale protests, Dontre’s initially-reluctant brother and mother became committed activitists for police reform and mental health advocacy. Filmed over the course of three years, documentarian Erik Ljung intimately captures a family trying to put their lives back together, a police department under fire, and a community in crisis. Opening with a recreation of the event that captures the chaotic incident with shocking realism, “The Blood is at the Doorstep” is essential documentation of the ongoing epidemic of police violence, and is a must see for every concerned citizen.

PRE-SHOW MUSIC BY
Nolan the Ninja (Sat)
Dennis Palmer (Sun)

SPONSORED BY
The Wilson Family and Rainbow Rehabilitation Center (Sat)
Babs Young & Ruth Hoppe (Sun)