Genre
Synopsis
Clarissa is a driven, straight-talking single Black mother and social warrior in Oakland, California. Becoming unhoused with an infant inspired her to champion childcare and preschool as a human right. Funny and irreverent, Clarissa’s infectious energy pulls us along as she presses forward, with fortitude gained through effort and loss. But juggling this work with raising a young son pushes Clarissa into a personal health crisis far too common among stressed, working mothers, especially women of color. CLARISSA’S BATTLE follows her journey as a community leader, political candidate and time-stretched mother as she fights for the health and dignity of children and their parents nationwide. As she wins her biggest battle the pandemic hits, changing the stakes and reminding us that this isn’t just Clarissa’s battle – it’s our battle, too.
Bio
Tamara Perkins (Director | Producer | Writer) is an award-winning filmmaker and changemaker focused on documentaries that inspire transformative change through dialogue, healing and advocacy. She founded Apple of Discord Productions in 2006, connecting media, activism and healing through programs such as the Wisdom Project and San Quentin Media Project, which trained at-risk youth and incarcerated men in filmmaking as a tool for transformation.
Perkins’ film Life After Life (2018) began in her yoga class inside San Quentin State Prison when the men asked her to tell their story, and continues to be a catalyst for learning and advocacy nationally. Justice impacted herself, this film provides an often overlooked proximity in storytelling. Rebound (2021) and Clarissa’s Battle (2022), were each similarly inspired by a personal connection to the subject matter. Her recent feature speculative fiction script melds present day social, moral, and ethical questions with a Woman-driven SciFi Thriller which was awarded the 2022 Stowe Story Fellowship.
As a national speaker, Perkins’ repertoire spans filmmaking to prison reform and human rights. She is a recipient of Evident Change’s Media for a Just Society Award. Perkins received her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is an adjunct faculty at Skyline College and St. Mary’s College of California. Perkins' work has become a catalyst for change, learning and advocacy for some of our nation's most misunderstood and overlooked
Screening History
Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2022
San Francisco Doc Festival 2022
Virginia Film Festival 2022
Credits
Editor - Sara Maamouri
Producer - Sara Maamouri
Cinematographer - CB Smith-Dahl
Impact Producer - Maria Judice
