The Witness

[projekktor id=’24429′]

Directed by James Solomon, The Witness is a documentary exploring the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese. The film fittingly premiered at the New York Film Festival last October.

On March 13, 1964, Kitty Genovese was repeatedly attacked on a street in Kew Gardens, Queens. Soon after, The New York Times published a front-page story asserting that 38 witnesses watched her being murdered from their apartment windows—and did nothing to help. The death of Kitty Genovese, 28, quickly became a symbol of urban apathy. THE WITNESS follows the efforts of her brother Bill Genovese as he looks to uncover the truth buried beneath the story. In the process, he makes startling discoveries about the crime that transformed his life, condemned a city, and defined an era.

“For me, at its heart, this film is a love story about a devoted brother’s determination, propelled by love and loss, to reclaim his sister Kitty’s life from her death” says Solomon. “Thanks to Bill, I believe ‘Kitty Genovese’ becomes a person not just a victim. The witnesses are no longer ‘them.’ They are more like ‘us.’ THE WITNESS is also about false narratives—about the stories we not only tell others but also ourselves, be it in the middle of the night or across a half century. By dispelling myths and confronting lies, Bill peels away layers of a story that shaped his life and, in the process, illuminates how narratives (real and imagined) impact our lives.”

The Witness is rated PG.