Trailer for the documentary The Force, which screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
New Oakland Police Chief Sean Whent is a good cop in a bad system, doing his best to eliminate the graft, prejudice and abuse of power that's crippling his department. Having been under federal oversight for more than a decade, the Oakland PD is in major need of a shake up, but the tendrils of misconduct run deep and the actions of a few rogue cops could bring down the entire department.
Filmed over the course of three turbulent years, Peter Nicks' remarkable The Force is cinéma vérité of the highest order. From rookie cops doing beat runs to the uncontainable fallout from a departmental sex scandal, Nicks offers us a harsh yet compassionate insight into the lives and behavior of those who have been charged to both serve and protect.