About The Film

A Groundbreaking Documentary Reimagining Policing in America

In a time when the conversation around law enforcement is fraught with complexity and urgency, the new dynamic short documentary film “Us vs Them” emerges as a clarion call for reflection, empathy, and transformation. Conceived by a veteran law enforcement official with decades of firsthand experience, this film steps boldly into the debate, inviting viewers to confront the ingrained “bad guy vs good guy” culture that has long defined the American policing narrative.

“Us vs Them” unfolds as a tightly woven tapestry of personal testimonies, expert reflections, and evocative visuals. At its heart is a dual lens the seasoned perspective of its creator and other veteran officers who have witnessed the inner workings, the successes, and the failings of the system and those with lived experience of incarceration. These are not just voices from the margins, but narrators of their own stories, and, crucially, of a silent movement poised to change who becomes a police officer and why.

The documentary is both a critique and a vision. It scrutinizes the adversarial mindset that has gripped much of American law enforcement the entrenched notion of “us,” the protectors, versus “them,” the criminals and explores how this ideology shapes policies, community relations, and the very soul of policing in the United States.

The film’s title questions the longstanding binary in police culture. Crucially, the film does not demonize officers, instead recognizing the ways in which the “us vs them” attitude is cultivated by policy, training, and sometimes necessity, but at a profound cost.

Perhaps the most compelling segments of the documentary are those centered on individuals who have lived through incarceration and direct involvement with the criminal justice system. Strikingly, some of these individuals have overcome massive obstacles and chosen to work within the very criminal justice system they were once defined by. Some individuals have become examples of true change and candidates for law enforcement. The film traces how their lived experience becomes a source of wisdom, empathy, and motivation for reform.

One of the film’s most thought-provoking threads is its exploration of an emerging, quiet revolution within the ranks of American policing. “Us vs Them” introduces viewers to a new wave of aspiring and current officers many of whom have themselves been impacted by the justice system who are reshaping the archetype of what it means to “protect and serve.”

“Us vs Them” points to a future in which the police force reflects the diversity and complexity of the communities it serves. The film challenges the viewer to reimagine the relationship between police and society, to name and move beyond the “us vs them” mentality, and to support a potential new generation of officers who see themselves not as enforcers on the outside, but as neighbors, partners, peacekeepers and guardians.