Jay Z‘s Kalief Browder documentary series TIME: The Kalief Browder Story will be making its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival in January.
The docuseries is Jay-Z’s first foray into television after he inked an exclusive first-look overall deal with The Weinstein Co., one of Hollywood’s most influential production houses a few months ago. Their first project is the six-part Browder series that will also premiere to the public on Spike TV in January.
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The series explores the Bronx teen’s time behind bars, a case that became a symbol of a broken criminal justice system. Browder went to prison for allegedly stealing a backpack, with most of that time spent in solitary confinement. His time behind bars was extended because his family could not afford the $3,000 bail. He was released in 2013 after his accuser left the country, but committed suicide two years later at 22 after struggling after he was released.
Browder’s story struck a chord with Jay-Z, who reached out to the young man after reading about his story in The New Yorker.
“He told me he was going to college,” Carter said of when they met. “I wanted to give him words of encouragement.”
“Kalief Browder is a modern-day prophet; his story a failure of the judicial process,” Jay Z said during a press conference announcing the project. “A young man, and I emphasize young man, who lost his life because of a broken system. His tragedy has brought atrocities to light and now we must confront the issues and events that occurred so other young men can have a chance at justice.”