Legal Line’s Chief Information Officer Antree Demakos took part in the filming of veteran Canadian filmmaker Martin Himel’s documentary, The Arrest (originally titled Probable Cause), commissioned by TV Ontario.
According to Olivia Ward from the documentary film company Bishari Films, The Arrest examines the damage caused by failure to expunge arrest records from the personal data of those who are not guilty of a crime – and the failures of the legal system to protect them, in spite of recent changes in the law.
The documentary explores the difficulties of those who fall victim to a range of serious consequences, including job loss, rejection of employment applications, social stigma, housing denial, and in some of the worst cases, the loss of their children, as well as ability to adopt, foster or work with children and other vulnerable people. Due to international data sharing, they may also be denied visas or entry to countries where they need to travel.
Why Antree?
Antree was approached to become involved in the documentary because of her award-winning work done to help defend people with police records.
About the Filmmaker – Martin Himel
Director and producer Martin Himel has worked in television and documentary film for over 25 years, both internationally and in Canada. His most recent production for CBC is Undercover in ISIS. Another film, Unholy Alliance, on terrorist financing in Canada and overseas, will debut this year on Vision TV.
Olivia Ward, Bishari Films
For more than two decades Olivia Ward was a foreign affairs writer, correspondent and bureau chief for the Toronto Star at the United Nations and international criminal courts, the former Soviet Union, Europe, the U.S., South Asia and the Middle East. During that time she covered a number of war zones and a war requiem by a British composer was based on a column she wrote from Chechnya. She was also a columnist for the New Internationalist and contributor to the Times of London and Deutsche Welle.
Olivia has won national and international awards, including the Michener Award for public service journalism. She currently works with the Canadian documentary film company, Bishari Films, among others. Two documentaries based on her work have won Emmys. One, A Child’s Century of War, was listed for an Academy Award. She has also written for the website billmoyers.com.
The documentary The Arrest is now airing on TVO
