WOMEN IN BLUE Feature Films

Work in Progress Screening

Following the film, watch a recorded discussion with director Deirdre Fishel and subjects Chief Melissa Chiodo, Catherine “CJ” Johnson and Chief Janée Harteau.

WOMEN IN BLUE follows Minneapolis’ first female police chief Janeé Harteau, as she works to reform the MPD by getting rid of bad cops, retraining the rest and promoting women — known to use less force — into every rank of leadership. The film follows four of the women in Harteau’s ranks, each trying to redefine what it means to protect and serve. When a high-profile officer-involved shooting of a white woman by a Black male officer forces Chief Harteau to resign, the new male chief selects only men as his top brass. The women, left behind, struggle to rebuild community trust under a new all-male leadership team.

Filmed between April 2017 and June 2019, WOMEN IN BLUE offers a compelling, unprecedented view inside the inner workings of the Minneapolis Police Department, where George Floyd was killed on May 25 by a white male MPD officer. The film reveals the limitations of long-lasting police reform through incremental change and asks questions that apply well beyond the city of Minneapolis, including, “Could more women in public safety — particularly women of color — help us transform policing in America?”

–Sarah Harris