The Force

Considered one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S. per capita, Oakland and its police force have been placed under federal oversight since 2002 in response to a string of misconduct cases. On this film, director Peter Nicks captures the voices of local residents and activists who still have issues with the department that turned a blind eye to four veteran officers dubbed the “Oakland Riders,” who allegedly planted evidence and kidnapped their own citizens. Shot in a crucial time period from 2014 to 2016, the film overlaps with the Black Lives Matter movement and a nationwide public scrutiny of police brutality. Nicks simultaneously lends the audience an internal perspective of the Oakland Police Department through Chief Sean Whent, a man with a noble goal to cut police shootings and violence. But when a sex scandal erupts involving fourteen Oakland officers and an underage girl, Whent considers resignation. (Sundance Film Festival)