Independent Lens
As Goes Janesville
The GM factory's closure and a showdown at the state capitol impacts of the economic crisis on the people of Janesville, Wisconsin.
When Claude Got Shot
After being shot in the face by 15-year-old Nathan King, Claude’s path to recovery leads to forgiveness. But that path is paved with the complexities of race, violence, and justice.
- Series
- Independent Lens
- Premiere Date
- May 9, 2022
- Length
- 90 minutes
- Funding Initiative
- Series and Special Projects
Director/Producer
Brad Lichtenstein
Brad Lichtenstein is a filmmaker, virtual reality storyteller, radio producer, and founder of 371 Productions. He has been nominated for two Emmys and won two DuPonts and a Peabody. Recent films include the PBS FRONTLINE documentary American Reckoning (with Yoruba Richen) and the Participant documentary Messwood (with Emily Kuester). When Claude Got Shot… Show more
Co-Producer
Santana Coleman
Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Santana Coleman is the co-producer and impact campaign advisor of the documentary When Claude Got Shot. She is the co-creator of Black Girl Training, a comedy TV series, and is currently in pre-production for her directorial debut with the short film The Last Week, where she also serves as writer and producer.
Producer
Steven Cantor
Steven Cantor is an Oscar nominated, Emmy winning producer/director and the founder of New York City-based Stick Figure Productions. Recent credits include Citizen Ashe (CNN 2022), Relentless (Discovery 2021), Hood River (HBO 2021), Twyla Moves (PBS/American Masters 2021), STEP (Fox Searchlight/HULU 2019), and DANCER (HULU 2018).
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The Film
In 2014, Claude Motley and his family were visiting their former hometown of Milwaukee, WI when 15-year-old Nathan King attempted to carjack his rented Dodge Charger. In the process, Nathan shot Claude in the face. That moment is the axis on which Claude’s world turned, derailing him from his own legal career only to throw him in the middle of the criminal justice system as a victim, and the key to his shooter’s fate. When Claude Got Shot chronicles five years in Claude’s physical and mental recovery journey. Persisting through multiple surgeries, catastrophic health care bills, and the lingering emotional aftermath of that traumatic night, Claude finds himself torn between punishment for Nathan and the injustice of mass incarceration for Black men and boys. For Claude, the path to recovery ultimately leads to forgiveness. But that path proves to be a fraught one, paved with all the complexities that race, violence, justice, and healthcare can possibly present.
