10-12-2023 4:01am

"Failure to Protect" OPENING ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS ON OCTOBER 17

Anita Johnson-Brown Editor

The documentary "Failure to Protect" portrays the struggles of five parents, Anna, Trish, Rheta, Ernst, and Rosa, as they fight to reunify with their children taken by Child Protective Services (CPS). The film offers an unbiased look at the child welfare system, where criminals seem to have more rights than parents.

The stories of these families showcase the different circumstances that can lead to a child's removal from their home, as well as the difficulties that follow. The cases are complicated and tragic, involving allegations of abuse, neglect, and trauma, as well as histories of mental illness. Parents are often pitted against each other and their own children. The parents fight to prove their fitness as guardians and clear their names.

The documentary raises tough questions such as whether parents with personal struggles that compromise their children's safety deserve a second chance. Is the CPS system biased against minorities, LGBTQIA+ couples, and the economically disadvantaged? Do social workers remove children first and ask questions later to avoid leaving them in abusive or dangerous environments? Through the parents' personal experiences, the documentary offers an in-depth window into the grim realities of the child welfare system.

The film was directed, produced, and edited by Jeremy Pion-Berlin and executive-produced by Jordan Savage, Devon Collins, Lisa Pion-Berlin, Jeff Porter, and Sgt. Major Keith L. Craig. It has a running time of 98 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA. The documentary has screened at numerous prestigious film festivals, including Phoenix Film Festival, Julien Dubuque International Film Festival, Atlanta Docufest, and Doc Boston, and has won several awards. It will be released on digital platforms by Porter+Craig Film & Media on October 17.

-By Anita Johnson-Brown

Watch the Trailer: Directed and Produced by Jeremy Pion-Berlin
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