Commuted tells the story of Danielle Metz, an African American mother of two, whose life was turned upside down when she was sentenced as a drug kingpin to triple life plus twenty years in prison for transporting cocaine across state lines in 1992. She was involved as part of her husband’s drug ring in New Orleans and her offense was non-violent. Danielle’s conviction was commuted by President Obama in August 2016, and now home after 23 years behind bars, the film follows Danielle as she tries to rebuild her relationships with family while continuing to fight a system that is incarcerating women at an unprecedented rate.
Works-in-Progress Lab / Cucalorus 2019
Bio
Nailah Jefferson is a filmmaker intrigued and inspired by the enduring human spirit, whose films span fiction and nonfiction. Her acclaimed work has been distributed domestically and internationally on the film festival circuit, theatrically and televised. Nailah’s debut documentary Vanishing Pearls: The Oystermen of Pointe a la Hache, told the story of the little known African American oyster fishing community in Plaquemines Parish and their fight for justice in the aftermath of the 2010 BP Oil Spill. The film was acquired by ARRAY and is currently available on The Urban Movie Channel.