Philly D.A.

When newly elected District Attorney Larry Krasner takes office in January 2018, a new era begins for Philadelphia, where more people are incarcerated than in any other major city in the US. The progressive lawyer who defended civil rights activists for 30 years, and has sued the police dozens of times, breaks the mould of the “law and order” prosecutor. He is committed to making major reforms from within a system characterised by racism and unequal justice, but his efforts to end mass incarceration are not always met with enthusiasm. For years, creators Ted Passon, Yoni Brook and Nicole Salazar followed Krasner’s journey, giving not only fellow campaigners but also his opponents opportunities to have their say. Philly D.A. is the first documentary series to screen in Berlinale Series; it tells a distinctively American story of universal relevance. The series was produced by Salazar and Oscar nominees Michael Gottwald and Josh Penn (Beasts of the Southern Wild), among others.