St. John’s University hosted the Justice Across Borders documentary film festival on April 12, bringing together students, faculty, advocates, legal professionals, exonerees, and community members to discuss wrongful convictions and human rights. The event took place in the School of Law’s Moot Court and featured films from both Taiwan and the United States.
The festival was organized by the Justice Initiative Center with support from St. John’s School of Law, The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice, the Taiwan Innocence Project (TIP), and the Taiwan Center. These organizations aimed to foster education and dialogue about wrongful convictions through film screenings and discussions.
Four documentaries were presented: three from Taiwan—To Meet to Forget (2023), Formosa Homicide Chronicle II: The Case of LU Cheng (2001), In the Same Boat (2025)—and one from the United States—Sixteen Years (2024). The films explored themes such as false confessions, tunnel vision in investigations, risks of wrongful execution, and their impact on individuals and families across different countries. Marina Sorochinski said documentary film “allows us not just to learn about wrongful convictions and their consequences in an abstract way, but to connect with the human stories behind them—the pain, the resilience, the advocacy, and the continued search for accountability and repair.”
Exonerees attended both as viewers and participants during a program segment that brought together individuals affected by wrongful conviction from both countries. TIP Chairperson Ping-Cheng Lo said: “Wrongful convictions have no borders and no language—and the pursuit of justice likewise transcends borders…” Sally Wu from Taiwan Center added: “At the Taiwan Center, we believe in the power of cultural and community spaces to bring people together… It was an honor to support this event…”
Students found value in connecting classroom learning with real-world issues; Emilya Barwik described hearing directly from international organizations as influential for her future career plans.
St. John’s University supports initiatives through its centers focused on multicultural efforts according to its official website. The university features campuses in Queens and Manhattan as well as international sites according to its official website. It is affiliated with the Vincentian Community according to its official website while offering more than 100 undergraduate majors across six schools according to its official website. St. John’s operates as a Catholic institution dedicated to liberal arts education according to its official website, led by Rev. Brian J. Shanley according to its official website.
