Director's Statement

I am very proud to have the opportunity to tell Debbie Peagler’s story in my first feature-length film. She is, quite simply, a remarkable person who chose to live a positive life despite many very negative circumstances. Initially, I began production of this project simply because of my attraction to the high-stakes storyline and all three main characters: Debbie and her attorneys Joshua and Nadia. Over time, however, working on the film has transformed me into a vocal advocate for all victims of domestic violence, especially those who would otherwise be forgotten and denied justice. My goal is to create a valuable resource in sparking change for battered women in prison, and to help people to better understand and support victims of abuse. In the long term, I intend to direct more films with strong social change components in the years to come, and I hope that any successes of Crime After Crime will further enable me to be involved in the creation of more films that have a direct and positive impact on people’s lives.

-- Yoav Potash

About the Guest

YOAV POTASH -- Producer, Director & Editor

Yoav Potash’s work has often addressed issues of race and justice. Yoav recently co-directed the one-hour documentary FOOD STAMPED in collaboration with his wife, nutrition educator Shira Potash. His half-hour documentary LIFE ON THE INSIDE, about the nation’s largest prison for women, began airing on PBS stations in 2007. His 35mm film MINUTE MATRIMONY earned a Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival and a Grand Festival Award at the Berkeley Video & Film Festival. CRIMINAL JUSTICE, Yoav’s short on racial profiling, won a documentary competition judged by HBO and The Learning Channel. He collaborated with PBS station KQED to complete his first documentary, FROM THE GROUND UP, about a multicultural group of UC Berkeley students who helped rebuild burned-down African-American churches in Alabama. Yoav has also produced short documentaries and videos for many companies and nonprofits, including: Apple Computer, Neutrogena, Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The Koret Foundation, and the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco. He has taught film courses at the Bay Area Video Coalition and Academy of Art University, and is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where he received the university’s top prize in creative writing. CRIME AFTER CRIME is his first feature-length film. In what may now be seen as an ironic twist, the first job Yoav landed behind a camera was as a legal videographer, filming depositions for ongoing legal disputes.

About USC Law's Post Conviction Justice Project

The Post-Conviction Justice Project is a clinical program at USC Law School where law students, under the supervision of professors Michael Brennan and Heidi Rummel, represent women serving indeterminate life sentences in California state prisons.  The Project is also a founding member of the California Habeas Project which identifies and provides representation to inmate survivors whose crimes stemmed  from domestic abuse but were convicted before courts admitted expert testimony on Intimate Partner Battering (formerly Battered Women's Syndrome).

About USC Law's Entertainment Law Society (ELS)

USC Law's Entertainment Law Society (ELS) is a student run organization comprised of law students interested in pursuing careers in entertainment law. The goal of ELS is to prepare students for the wide range of legal careers within the entertainment industry through exposure to current topics and trends in entertainment law, networking events, and career development opportunities. Activities and programs include a year long speaker series, an alumni mentor program, involvement in the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles Bar Associations, and trips to The Sundance Film Festival and The Coachella Music Festival.

For more information on the Entertainment Law Society, please email uscentertainmentlaw@gmail.com

About Outside the Box [Office]

Outside the Box [Office] is a weekly showcase for upcoming releases highlighting world cinema, documentary and independent film titles. Recognizing a need for greater diversity on campus, the series will draw from around the globe to present movies that may challenge, inspire or simply entertain. The weekly screenings will be on Wednesday and Sunday nights (and other select dates, as they arise) in the School of Cinematic Arts Complex, George Lucas Building.

To view the calendar of screenings, click here.

Check-In & Reservations