Battle Against the Odds

A documentary short film exploring the effects of mass incarceration on families through the eyes of two sons

The Odds Are

1 in every 9 Black children in America has a parent in prison

(Source: Murphey and Cooper, Parents Behind Bars: What Happens to Their Children?)

Black children are 6 times as likely than White children to have a parent who's been incarcerated, which causes a higher dropout rate for Black youth.

(Source: Morsey and Rothstein, Mass Incarceration and Children's Outcomes)

Black Americans are twice as likely to live in poverty than White or Asian Americans.

(Source: U.S. Census Bureau)

What would you do for your children?

Khayri Battle went to prison when his children were just boys. Through phone interviews from prison, Khayri said he sold drugs to get his family out of the poverty he faced growing up in Newark, NJ. He said he still fears, “I’ve let down my sons by being inside."

Sons of Battle

Now Khayri's sons, Adrie Thoms and Khalil Battle, are successful young men living out their dreams, but at what cost? Adrie and Khalil didn’t grow up in poverty like their father. Khayri’s foray into the vice industry spared them those hardships. But the cost of that relief was losing their father for the past decade.

Adrie Thom is a model in Los Angeles.

Khalil Battle is an entrepreneur and creative who sells his haircare line to over 1 million TikTok followers.

Please Support this Project

Thanks to a generous equipment rental donation from producer Chris Heinrich, our team filmed beautiful footage and interviews of Adrie and Khalil on an ARRI Alexa Mini with anamorphic lenses shot by our award-winning cinematographer and producer, Jesse Dana. But we need financial support now to finish this film and tell this important story.

To cover our production in Los Angeles and take us into the next production stage, where we will gather more archival footage and begin the post-production phase, we must raise $15,000.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN:

  • Crew Pay: $11,750

  • Lodging: $1,500

  • Travel: $1,000

  • Crew Meals: $750

The Team

ShakaJamal, Director

ShakaJamal is an Emmy-winning, culturally innovative artist and filmmaker from Oakland. He is the founder of Olu8 Film & Culture and Olu8 Records. Shaka’s work reveals the inspiring achievements of change-makers whose stories often go untold. Shaka received the Game Changers Fellowship, which led him to premiere a series of short documentaries in New York at Harlem’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Jesse Dana, Cinematographer and Producer

Jesse Dana’s work has garnered two national Emmy nominations and a Peabody Award and has appeared in festivals worldwide, including Sundance, Tribeca, and Cannes. Now almost 20 years into his career, Jesse’s work has become a way to give others the gift of being seen. He filmed the documentary feature, LIFE AFTER LIFE, over the course of 10 years in San Quentin State Prison, where he also taught filmmaking to inmates.

Arabella DeLucco, Executive Producer

The founder of WeXL, Arabella DeLucco is a writer, creator, and producer. She received a Jefferson Award in 2021 for outstanding service to the community. Shaped by her experience as an immigrant, Arabella examines how we are all connected despite our differences. As a former journalist, Arabella believes in adding art-making to truth-finding.