Yoav Potash, a filmmaker from Berkeley, is one of five documentarians to receive a grant from the Foundation for Jewish Culture’s Lynn and Jules Kroll Fund for Jewish Documentary Film, which supports post-production of original documentaries that explore the Jewish experience.
This year, $120,000 was awarded to five filmmakers from Israel, Germany and the United States, the foundation announced Jan. 5. Winners were selected from 92 applications.
Potash was chosen for his film “Crime After Crime,” which tells the story of Joshua Safran, an attorney and Orthodox Jew from Berkeley, and his client Deborah Peagler, an incarcerated black Christian woman. Both are survivors of domestic violence.
The film explores Safran’s quest to free Peagler after 27 years behind bars for her connection to the murder of her abusive husband. Peagler was released from prison in August, in large part because of Safran’s work on her behalf.
The film shows how Jewish religion, culture and individuals can address the link between domestic violence and wrongful imprisonment.
For more information about the film, visit www.crimeaftercrime.com.