“say her name” gives sandra bland a new voice

We’ll never forget the life, death, and powerful voice of police brutality victim Sandra Bland. The 28-year-old Texan mysteriously died in police custody after being pulled over during a questionable traffic stop. Three years after her death, Say Her Name, a documentary by filmmakers Kate Davis and David Heilbroner trailed Bland’s family as they searched for answers to why Bland was allegedly found hanging from a trashcan liner in a jail outside of Houston.

The documentary, Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland, which premieres on HBO December 3, is said to leave viewers with more questions than answers. Filmed primarily around Texas and the Chicago area, where Bland is from, friends and family recall Bland’s childhood. The doc also includes footage of the 28-year-old’s interaction with state trooper Brian Encinia on July 10, 2015, where a shouting match ensued, her imprisonment, and the scene of the alleged suicide.

“We did approach Officer Encinia and, not surprisingly, he refused to cooperate,” said Davis. “He was just off the map, I would say.”

After the Bland death, Encinia was charged with perjury, although that charge was later dropped. “A few people just disappeared,“ said Davis. “I think in the case of Encinia, his actions speak louder than his words.”

Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland airs on HBO on December 3 at 10 P.M. EST.

“Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland”