William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe is an important documentary about William Kunstler made by his two daughters, Emily and Sarah Kunstler. Throughout their lives, Kunstler's daughters were taught that every human being deserved a good lawyer no matter what the situation, but they always asked, "why does it have to be our dad?"
The film seems almost like a biopic of these two daughters digging through his desk (they do, in fact, rummage through his desk), trying to understand him as well as his choices. William Kunstler took on a vast array of cases throughout his life, and as a founder of the Center for Constitutional Rights, it seems only right that he would choose cases that fought against prejudice. Kunstler dedicated himself to every case he chose, so much so that he became an honorary member of the Native American tribe at Wounded Knee while he was working on a case that allowed them to stay on their native land.
Kunstler believed that we are all blind to the depth of our own prejudice. He told his daughters that all white people are racist, even them. One of the most famous cases Kunstler took on was the case of the Central Park Jogger Rape. A case where the entirety of New York City as well as the rest of the nation dubbed a group of local black teens as 100%, no chance guilty of the crime. The only person who believed in their innocence was Kunstler.
He was hated for standing up in defense for these people who supposedly attacked and raped an innocent jogger in Central Park, especially his closest client, 15-year-old Yusef Salaam. His family was attacked. His career was threatened. But Kunstler believed that if you are in the position where you can stand up to injustice in the world, you have no choice but to do so.
Kunstler lost the case 20 years ago. In 2002, Salaam was exonerated on behalf of being wrongfully accused of the crime after DNA evidence proved he was innocent, after being incarcerated for 7 years.
During the making of the film, Emily and Sarah became close with Salaam's family and learned about his struggles. Salaam promotes this film with Kunstler's daughters because he feels that it is important to show the world that change can be made, we need to stand up to the injustice.
The film is narrated by his daughters, inserting a personal feel to the man himself. Interviews vary from lawyers who worked with Kunstler on trials down to Kunstlers wife, incorporating many home videos and photos demonstrating the way he interracted with his daughters.
William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe is now one of the 15 documentary films shortlisted for the Oscars.
Last night, Michael Moore celebrated the film at the Tribeca Grand creating a discussion of the state of civil rights. What would William Kunstler have said about the state of civil and human rights today?
This is very good. Unlike the previous doc review, you go into what made it moving for you. and specifics like the central park jogging case help the reader get a feel for the film. Well done!
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