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For Akheem

Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund Grantee

  • Jeremy Levine, Director
  • Landon Van Soest, Director
  • Nicholas Weissman, Producer
  • Jeff Truesdell, Producer
  • Bradley Rayford, Producer
main character Daje rests her head on crossed arms at desk with bookbag and photo of Obama behind on wall

About the Project

For Ahkeem follows 17-year-old Daje Shelton as she struggles to beat the odds and earn a high school diploma in one of the most volatile places in the country. After getting into a fight at her North St. Louis high school, a juvenile court judge sends Daje to an experimental program that offers her one last chance to turn her life around. As Daje fights for her future, nearby Ferguson erupts into flames, friends are killed, family members are incarcerated, and Daje gives birth to a baby boy. Through Daje’s intimate first-person account, the film presents an unvarnished exploration of the complex web between juvenile justice, education, and race in America today.