May: Week 3
Circle Up
A film by Julie Mallozzi
Circle Up tells the powerful story of a group of Boston mothers who seek true justice for their sons’ murders. For these women, justice is not about revenge or mass incarceration but about healing, accountability, and community peace.
This documentary speaks to the practice and power of restorative justice. After the brutal slaying of her teenage son, Dorchester mother Janet Connors reached out to her son’s killer to offer a chance for forgiveness. She lobbied the Department of Corrections for a year to become the first person in Massachusetts to hold a Victim-Offender Dialogue. The film opens a rare window into the reconciliation between a murderer and the survivor of his victim. This story is unique in that the perpetrator now works with Janet and other mothers to help prevent further violence. Their form of community-based restorative justice is a welcome alternative in a time when hate and retribution have become state-sanctioned.
Circle Up is a call to action for reframing approaches to crime and punishment through the lens of restorative justice, forgiveness, and accountability.
Director’s Statement:
As a person of mixed heritage, I am fascinated by the ways cultural practices are hybridized or “repurposed” far from their original context to address social issues. When I first learned that Native American-inspired peacemaking circles were helping prevent and respond to violence in multi-cultural, urban settings, I was intrigued. I spent five years researching circle work all over the country and then met my primary subject, Janet Connors, right near my home.
I was drawn to this Irish-American woman with a huge heart who learned to forgive her son’s murderers and work for personal and community healing. A lifelong community activist, Janet responded to her own trauma by drawing on what she had learned from native elders about restorative justice. Janet introduced me to Clarissa Turner, an African-American woman with a deep Christian faith and a commitment to support others who lost family members to homicide. Documenting their journey has been one of the great privileges of my life.
Here are film links from the director that will be available until the end of May. She requests that you do not share them out.
The film is also available for free on Kanopy, the American library film system.
69-minute feature: https://vimeo.com/236925627
password = peace0526
14-minute short: https://vimeo.com/236140787
password = peace0526