“No matter what your zip code is, no matter what school you sign up to, every single child deserves to have the same quality education.” – Clarissa Doutherd
Clarissa’s Battle tells the story of single mother, caregiver, essential worker, and social justice warrior Clarissa Doutherd’s fight for the dignity of all parents and children. She builds a powerful coalition to illuminate the lack of childcare, exacerbated by the global pandemic. They struggle for the rights of millions impacted globally, especially women of color. The film follows Clarissa’s journey from Oakland to Washington D.C. as she battles for childcare and early childhood education, sparked by her own loss of childcare and housing. Equally riveting is the film’s portrayal of the mental and physical health tolls paid by working mothers and the ways in which lockdown intensified their already desperate circumstances.
In her latest documentary premiering in May at the Human Rights Watch Festival at NYC’s Lincoln Center, Director|Producer and Skyline College Film Professor Tamara Perkins, asks the question – why do people fight so hard against funding resources that will allow parents to work, keep families off the streets, give children a chance at a productive future, and thus ultimately benefit every citizen in a community?
WHERE TO SEE CLARISSA’S BATTLE
Human Rights Watch Festival
Playing at NYC’s Lincoln Center and on the festival’s digital platform:
Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 22, 2022 at 5:15 p.m.
21st San Francisco Documentary Film Festival
Playing at SF’s Roxie Theater House 1 and on the festival’s digital platform:
Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 4:15 p.m.
Available online June 1, 2022 at 12:00 a.m.
Tamara Perkins is an award-winning filmmaker and changemaker focused on documentaries that inspire transformative change through dialogue, healing, and advocacy through her company Apple of Discord Productions. Perkins’ films (Life After Life (2018), Rebound (2021), Clarissa’s Battle) were each inspired by a personal connection to the subject matter and provide an often over looked proximity in storytelling. As a national speaker, Perkins’ repertoire spans from filmmaking to prison reform and human rights. She is a recipient of Evident Change’s Media fora Just Society Award. Perkins’ work has become a catalyst for change, learning and advocacy for some of our nation’s most misunderstood and overlooked issues.
If you are interested in taking a summer class with Professor Perkins, check out:
Film 100 – Introduction to Film – https://webschedule.smccd.edu/course/202205/56150
Film 123 – Documentary Film: Studies and Practice – https://webschedule.smccd.edu/course/202205/55991
Sara Maamouri is the film’s Editor|Producer and was a panelist at the 2021 Stories of Transformation Film Festival. Sara is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker and editor who has explored a diverse range of topics for over 20 years. Her work touches on social, educational, and political issues, from a teacher and students performing under extraordinary circumstance. Her most recent films include We Are Not Princesses (2018) and the Peabody Award-winning film The Judge (2017) both of which were featured at the 2021 Skyline College Stories of Transformation Film Festival.
Clarissa Doutherd (Protagonist, Advisor) is the executive director of Parent Voices Oakland, a chapter of Parent Voices California. Clarissa has been a strong advocate for mothers like herself who were caught in the crosshairs of ineffective public policy. As a collaborative movement builder, Clarissa has forged deep partnerships with large local government agencies including the Alameda County Social Services Agency, Public Health, and Behavioral Health Services. After stepping into leadership as the co-chair on the Alameda County Early Childhood Policy Committee with First 5of Alameda County, Clarissa led efforts to refocus the group to become a cross-sector collaborative, connecting community-based organizations, parents and service providers to advance innovative strategies for county-wide system change. As a leader and mentor, Clarissa works to elevate parent leadership in public policy.
Interested in Film? Find out more at: skylinecollege.edu/film
