No Tomorrow

In 2004, filmmakers Roth and Weisberg produced Aging Out, a documentary about young people who were foster-care success stories, including one Risa Bejarano. When Bejarano was murdered that same year, the prosecution showed Aging Out during the penalty phase of the trial of her killer, Juan Chavez. Roth and Weisberg, dismayed at the use of their movie to promote the death penalty, began work on No Tomorrow, which recounts the story of the murder and trial through interviews with key players, including family members, attorneys, jurors, and police officers. Though strongly anti-capital punishment, the filmmakers present arguments on both sides, incorporating commentary and analysis from academics, judges, and advocacy group experts. They draw interesting parallels in the complex backgrounds of Bejarano and Chavez and smoothly mesh interviews, footage from Aging Out, courtroom drama, and death penalty discussions. Bonus features include a 30-minute excerpt from Aging Out that might best be watched prior to viewing No Tomorrow. Grisly footage of murder victims may be difficult for some viewers, but, overall, this is a valuable presentation for academics, justice advocacy groups, and all those interested in examining capital punishment.—Joan Pedzich, Harris Beach PLLC, Rochester, NY