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Public Defender

A Documentary Film Screening and Workshop

Join the library and filmmaker Andrea Kalin for a two-part event featuring an Interactive Listening Workshop, Film Screening, and Panel Discussion.  

Kick off the night with a transformative, 60-minute interactive listening workshop led by Peoplehood —a trailblazing company dedicated to relational health and meaningful connection. Through guided breathing exercises and dialogue, you'll gain practical tools to navigate differences, build stronger relationships, and foster deeper connections. Peoplehood provides a safe and supportive space that emphasizes empathy and understanding—not to seek agreement, but to bridge divides and find clarity in even the toughest conversations.

The second part of the evening features a screening of Public Defender, the award-winning documentary that has sparked conversations nationwide. Following the film, join a thought-provoking panel discussion with the filmmakers and key participants as they delve into the film’s themes and their resonance with today’s pressing challenges.​

We invite you to experience the full program, but space is limited. Please RSVP and let us know which portions you plan to attend so we can accommodate everyone! Register below. 

About the Film

At a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, Public Defender, an award-winning documentary, examines the fault lines of American democracy through the lens of Heather Shaner, a seasoned and fiercely compassionate public defender in Washington, DC.

For over 45 years, Heather has fought for justice for those who can’t afford a lawyer, earning the trust of countless clients. But when she’s tasked with representing January 6th rioters, her empathy and dedication are put to the ultimate test. Despite starkly opposing political beliefs, Heather works to restore humanity one relationship at a time, advocating for second chances with fairness and compassion. Public Defender uncovers the surprising power of connection and offers a timely, unflinching look at how humanity can endure—even in the most divided of times.

Following the film screening, stay for a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring the filmmakers, and the film's participants to further explore the themes of the film and their relevance to today’s challenges.

Speaker Bios

Richard Schiff - Executive Producer

Richard Schiff is an award winning actor and director and published writer. Awards include an Emmy along with three Emmy nominations; two SAG awards and an Ovation Award and two Backstage Awards for theater work. He is best known for his role of Toby Ziegler on the acclaimed WEST WING and for Dr. Glassman on the mega hit THE GOOD DOCTOR as well as BALLERS, COUNTERPART, MANHATTAN and dozens of others. He has starred or appeared in WAKANDA FOREVER, THE LOST WORLD JURASSIC PARK, CLEMENCY, MAN OF STEEL and RAY among more than 50 films. He’s starred on both Broadway and The West End in London among many theater credits. He founded and was Artistic Director of Manhattan Repertory Theater in New York City. He is active in politics and social causes and is on the board of The Creative Coalition and Counsel for a Liveable World and an active fundraiser for the ACLU and Public Counsel. He has written columns for The Independent and Huffington Post and his first published poetry will be out this summer.

Andrea Kalin - Director / Producer / Writer

Andrea Kalin is an award-winning filmmaker and founder of Spark Media, a production company dedicated to programs with a social conscience. Kalin’s storytelling has earned her over 100 awards and honors, including a Primetime Emmy, two Gracies, a CHRIS Award, and Golden Globe and WGA nominations. Her work has been shown theatrically and at film festivals around the the world including Hot Docs, Woodstock Film Festival, and Human Rights Watch Film Festival and is distributed by global broadcasters and streaming platforms such as Smithsonian, MTV, HBO, PBS's WORLD Channel, Amazon, Apple TV, Tubi and Deutsche Welle. Her latest film, SCATTERING CJ, premiered at the Camden International Film Festival and aired on PBS in September 2022. She has produced 12 feature documentaries and scores of advocacy shorts. Kalin's debut documentary, PARTNERS OF THE HEART, aired on PBS's “American Experience,” won the Erik Barnouw Award for Best History Doc, and is part of the NEH50, a list of the most culturally significant projects funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Kalin seeks out unexpected, gripping human stories that shape who we are and shift how we see our world. Her spirited storytelling inspires audiences and sparks the imagination.

Kate Woodsome - Senior Producer, Public Defender

Kate Woodsome is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker weaving the connection between mental health and democracy. While at The Washington Post, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service with colleagues covering the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, pioneered a mental health column and managed a short documentary unit. Woodsome has been honored with the Ben Bradlee Award for Courage in Journalism, an Edward R. Murrow Award for her film, PLEASE RISE, honors from the White House News Photographers Association and the National Association of Black Journalists. Her film BRING THEM HOME helped change U.S. policy and public opinion around state hostage-taking and screened at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, the Sarasota Film Festival, DC/DOX and beyond, while the DOC NYC premiere and long festival run of FIGHT OR FLIGHT has invited audiences to reframe their understanding of trauma and recovery. Now independent, she recently founded Invisible Threads to explore the ties between the health of our minds and body politic in a way that nourishes individual and collective wellbeing. Woodsome pursues this mission through writing, film and public education. Invisible Threads deepens work she has done for two decades — from reporting on an authoritarian regime in post-genocide Cambodia, the decline of democracy in Hong Kong and the 2021 insurrection.

Heather Shaner - Documentary Participant, Public Defender

Public Defender, Heather Shaner, is well known within the Washington, DC legal community as the septuagenarian who sports blue bangs, eschews suits, hugs prosecutors, and babysits for her clients. But being asked to defend Americans who engaged in acts of insurrection forced her to reckon with her own anger and hurt over what had happened in her hometown on January 6, 2021. Heather is passionate about prompting her clients’ curiosity and deepening their understanding of history, not just to influence a judge's verdict but to open their hearts and minds long after their trials and sentences.

Connor Holloway - Peoplehood Facilitatator

Connor (they/them) is a leading Guide and facilitator for both individuals and teams to accomplish more honest and empathetic conversations at home, at work and beyond. Connor is a former tenured dancer with American Ballet Theatre with a background in creative marketing and communications and a passion for equity and inclusion in conversation. Connor has facilitated Gathers for teams at Microsoft, JPMorgan, Esther Perel Global Media, Silicon Valley Bank, Gold House, Mountainfilm, Bumble For Friends, & more.

Ethan Oser - Producer / Director of Photography

Ethan Oser is a nimble filmmaker with a decade of experience telling perspective-shifting stories. With Spark Media since 2013, he's helped bring many of the company's award-winning documentary films to life. Most recently, he was the director of photography, associate producer, and assistant editor on SCATTERING CJ. He was also an assistant director of photography and editor on FIRST LADY OF THE REVOLUTION and provided photography and assistant editing on RED LINES. Oser’s work has screened at international festivals and been broadcast and streamed worldwide on PBS, HBO, Amazon, Apple TV, National Geographic, Tubi and FreeSpeech TV. Oser has a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications from George Washington University and combines fact-checking with empathy to embody compassion and integrity in his work.

Annie Howell - Documentary Participant, Public Defender

A whip-smart Pennsylvanian with a knack for politicking, Annie Howell's world fell apart when she joined the Capitol attack. She lost her job and her home after serving 60 days in jail for her role in the insurrection. She divides her time between a motel room and the library, fighting for custody of her son and trying to rebuild her life. In the months leading up to January 6, Annie says she was driven by fear. Between right-wing media, friends and family, she was convinced that America was becoming a socialist dystopia. Emerging from the political trance is painful but rewarding as Annie sheds old relationships and makes new ones, including with herself.

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