TRAFFIC STOP

2017 SHORT DOCUMENTARY WINNER

Traffic Stop tells the story of Breaion King, a 26 year-old African-American school teacher from Austin, Texas who is stopped for a routine traffic violation that escalates into a dramatic arrest.   Caught on police dashcams, Breaion is pulled from her car by the arresting officer, repeatedly thrown to the ground, and handcuffed. En route to jail in a squad car, Breaion engages in a revealing conversation with her escorting officer about race and law enforcement in America.  The dashcam footage is juxtaposed with scenes from Breaion’s everyday life, offering a fuller portrait of the woman behind this unsettling police encounter.

The 11/16 screening of Traffic Stop is part of the Shorts: Surviving the System program. Traffic Stop also screens as a standalone presentation on 11/14.