Each year professor and director of Documenting Justice Andrew Grace dedicates his time to helping his students develop a professional documentary-style film. The films are presented to the public at the end of the year.

This semester is coming to a close, and Grace’s students are preparing for their premiere event Tuesday.

The class, called Documenting Justice, equips students with the film experience they will need and then sends them out to search for lifestyle stories within the local community.

Documenting Justice is a two-semester class, beginning in the fall and ending in the spring. The class is open to students of any major and they do not need any prior film experience to be accepted into the application-based class. “The first semester of class is dedicated entirely to learning the craft of documentary filmmaking and learning the background and methodology of making films, and they also start developing their ideas,” Grace said. “The second semester is dedicated almost exclusively to the making of the film.”

To make their films, students work in teams of two. They develop their ideas together and then continue to work as a team throughout the filming and editing process.

Hunter Holt, a Documenting Justice student and senior majoring in English, and his film partner have spent their spring semester developing a film about a mother and her struggling relationship with her son.

“Our film is about a conservative Christian mother who contemplates her beliefs and relationship with her son months following his coming out,” Holt said.

Holt said he believes stories like this make the Documenting Justice class worthwhile. The class has especially impacted the way that he regards his local community, Holt said.

“Documenting Justice has been the most meaningful class I’ve taken at The University of Alabama,” Holt said. “I have learned more about myself, Alabama and other peoples’ perspectives from working on my film than from any other creative project or experience.”

Each of the seven films that will be shown at the Documenting Justice premiere will highlight different individuals within the local area.

“All seven films are compelling and thoughtful,” Holt said. “They showcase vital issues in our community and highlight the importance of sharing our experiences with one another.”

Grace said the event gives the audience the opportunity to connect with the documentary subjects, who are people they may have not otherwise have learned about. It exposes them to new and noteworthy members of their community.

“I think that the class is bringing together a lot of unique and idyllic voices that otherwise wouldn’t be heard,” Grace said.

This year’s Documenting Justice event will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Bama Theatre. Attendance is free and seating is first come, first serve.