Register to watch the film here.

Register to attend the discussion here.

When a Chinese-American police officer kills an innocent, unarmed black man in an unlit stairwell of a New York City housing project on November 20, 2014, communities across the city erupt with demands for legal accountability. When he becomes the first New York Police Department officer convicted of an on-duty shooting in over a decade, the fight for justice becomes much more complicated. One of the largest Asian-American protests in history challenges an uneven legal system, while the African-American community is forced to defend its rights again after a series of police killings. Cries for justice amid systemic inequities finds disparate notions of fairness called into question.

“Down a Dark Stairwell tells a crucial American story of how divisions among racial minorities ultimately serve white supremacy.” - John Raphling, Senior Researcher, US Criminal Justice, Human Rights Watch

Join the Human Rights Watch Film Festival for a digital film festival screening + live Q&A. Watch the film at your own pace, or join for a shared viewing experience.
Wednesday, June 17
6:30 PM EDT – Start watching the film
7:55 PM EDT – 5 min break – get your questions ready and re-fill your beverage!
8:00 PM EDT – Join us for a live Q&A with the filmmaker Ursula Liang, founder of Raheem.org, a website for reporting police conduct in the US, Brandon D. Anderson, Steven Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition & HRW’s US Program Advocacy Officer Dreisen Heath. Moderated by Gerry Johnson, Editor & Senior strategist, Human Rights Watch. Register here
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If the price of buying a ticket to this film would prevent you from participating, please email the following address (filmticket@hrw.org) + the Human Rights Watch Film Festival will send you a free ticket code.