Virginia Film Festival

In 2006, four young African-American lesbians in a gay-friendly neighborhood of New York City are violently and sexually threatened by an aggressive man on the street. They react in self-defense, stabbing the persistent man, warranting charges and court convictions. While other women may plead guilty, Renata, Patreese, Venice, and Terrain claim their innocence – they merely aimed to protect themselves. Although the rights activists circle dubbed them The New Jersey 4, the media labels them the “Gang of Killer Lesbians”. By infusing interviews with archival footage, this documentary demonstrates the influence of biased media coverage on an already prejudicial legal system. Discussion with filmmakers Giovanna Chesler and blair dorosh-walther, and Scott Rheinheimer (U.Va.)