Detective Lieutenant Laurel Hester spent 25 years investigating tough cases in Ocean County, New Jersey, protecting the rights of victims and putting her life on the line. She had no reason to expect that in the last year of her life, after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, that her final battle for justice would be for the woman she loved – as she struggles to transfer her earned pension to her domestic partner, Stacie Andree.
Laurel Hester’s story was shared in Cynthia Wade’s documentary, Freeheld, which won an Academy Award in 2008 for Best Documentary Short Subject. The doc has been adapted into a narrative feature film directed by Peter Sollett and starring Julianne Moore and Ellen Page.
The Berkshire International Film Festival will present a screening of the new film on October 4th at The Triplex in Great Barrington. Berkshire resident, Cynthia Wade, will be in attendance to introduce the film and participate in a Q&A afterward. Laurel Hester’s sister, Lynda, will also be in attendance.
