JUST US: THE STORY OF JOANNA HERNANDEZ

A documentary film screening

Thursday, February 20, 2014
7:30
Admission Free

JUST US is a documentary from filmmaker Nyjia Jones set in San Francisco's Mission District. The film introduces criminal and juvenile justice advocate, Joanna Hernandez. A former teenage mother who spent many years in and out of jail, Hernandez founded the organization “Young Queens On The Rise” with the goal of helping at-risk youth avoid her mistakes. Her world is rocked when her own son is arrested for a serious crime.

JUST US follows Hernandez to various court hearings, jail visits and town hall meetings. Although Hernandez is used to advocating for her clients, she has difficulty dealing with the magnitude of what could possibly happen to her son, the person closest in the world to her. How could this happen? Was her work in vain? What’s next?

Director Nyjia Jones was inspired to create JUST US after moving to San Francisco for a fellowship with the Center for Asian American Media. JUST US is her first solo documentary.