#david fowler

Maryland families hope to see change as the attorney general's office reviews more than 40 deaths in police custody across the state. WJZ Investigates is continuing to follow a landmark audit that revealed many of the cases should have been classified as homicides but were often misclassified as accidents initially.  The cases, including the deaths of Anton Black and Tyrone West in police custody, hinged on the opinion of Maryland's former chief medical examiner, Dr. David Fowler.  The audit found possible pro-police and racial biases in determining why someone died when they were restrained by officers.  "I'm not aware of anything this sweeping in its scope and this damning in its findings," Sonia Kumar, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, said about the audit... …Despite Black's family sounding the alarm since 2018, it was not until 2021, when Dr. Fowler testified for Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd, that there was a push to look more closely at past cases. "Dr. Fowler's testimony in that case was really important to educating the public about what was happening in Maryland," Kumar said.

Advocates are calling for an investigation into how law enforcement handled death investigations after an audit of Maryland's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) found that some police custody deaths were misclassified. Members of Community Actively Seeking Transparency (CAST) and the Anne Arundel County NAACP are asking state leaders to determine if the mishandling of those cases could be considered obstruction of justice... ...The audit found patterns of possible racial disparities, Maryland Attorney General Brown said. According to the review, deaths that involved Black people or individuals who were restrained by police were less likely to be ruled as homicides.

By Lev Koufax 

Penguins are some of the silliest creatures on planet Earth. They’re adorable and naturally lend themselves to laughs. Disney Nature’s latest film does a fine job showcasing this and I bet if you take your kids to see this short documentary, it’ll instill within them an appreciation for nature - maybe even a desire to take action and protect our world.

Narrated by Ed Helms, we follow an Adélie penguin named Steve who is one of the last birds to arrive at the icy Antarctic plateau where his species migrate to build nests, mate, and start a family. It isn’t easy with the predators, unforgiving weather and rival males.

For children, there’s a lot to enjoy in “Penguins”. Ed Helms personifies Steve with narration that’s generally more hit-than-miss. While there are a few groaners, the little ones will laugh. You will too when the accident-prone, newly-matured Steve struggles to do what the seasoned birds around him have done a hundred times. It’s all real-life stuff, which makes it particularly amusing. Something about penguins' bowling pin-shaped bodies waddling around or diving in unison brings a smile to your face.

There is a story and we are introduced to a couple of animals and individual penguins but for the most part, the film speaks for itself. The cinematography is impressive, with the bleak landscape of Antarctica never before looking as beautiful as it is here. More than once, you’ll wonder how they pulled off these shots as the penguins don’t seem to even take notice of the cameras zipping above or beside them, even underwater. I may have rolled my eyes at a couple of bad jokes but that all went away during the last minutes of the film. There’s a confrontation between some penguins and a leopard seal that’ll have you biting your nails. You know you’re looking at real animals and accept that nature might take its course. On the other hand, the movie’s gotten to you. You don’t think of the penguins just as animals anymore they’re… friends.

Stay for the end credits, as footage showing us how the documentary was made plays through them. At 76 minutes, you might as well, right? Even if you don’t, “Penguins” is worth your time. It has the power to spark a change within the young viewers who will be brought to it. The film never talks about global warming or pollution or anything like that but they’ll be able to connect the dots and those who watch it will realize how wonderful these animals are. They’ll understand they need to be protected. I was happy to have seen Penguins, and happier to spot a number of families with young children in the theater with me. (Theatrical version on the big screen, April 20, 2019)

Esse é o primeiro trailer do documentário Born in China [2017], filme que explora as selvas da China.

Dirigido por Chuan Lu (O Massacre de Nanquim [2009]), seu primeiro trabalho como documentarista, a câmera flagra momentos de um urso panda e seu filho em crescimento, um pequeno macaco dourado que se sente deslocado e um leopardo que luta para cuidar de seus dois filhotes.

Com narração de John Krasinski (The Office [2005 - 2013]) e Xun Zhou (Balzac e a Costureirinha Chinesa [2002]), o roteiro é uma parceria do diretor com David Fowler, Brian Leith (Congo [2002]) e Phil Chapman.

Sem data de estreia no Brasil, Born in China estreia nos EUA em abril.

By Lev Koufax

As the trial of killer cop Derek Chauvin wound to a close, the defense called its final and star witness: forensic pathologist Dr. David Fowler.