For Venida, For Kalief

For Venida, For Kalief debuts the poetry of Venida Brodnax Browder, mother of Kalief Browder who at age 16 was sent to New York City ’s notorious Rikers Island jail complex for allegedly stealing a backpack. After three years on Rikers with one year of solitary confinement, he was released at age 20 without charge, but he later committed suicide at the age of 22. 

By taking us on a poetic journey between past, present, and future, the film exposes systemic injustice while centering on a mother’s unwavering love, a family’s path toward healing, and a community determined to see the end of solitary confinement and see the closure of the notorious Rikers Island Jail transform it into a renewable energy center. 

The film lyrically weaves poetic visuals and rare archival imagery from 1970s New York featuring the Black Panthers and the Young Lords — a bold reimagining of criminal justice storytelling, while revealing how an individual’s life and afterlife can transcend boundaries to ignite social and cultural change once thought unattainable.

Centered on the enduring legacy of Kalief Browder and the poetry of his mother, Venida Brodnax Browder, "For Venida, For Kalief" is a solutions-based film that lyrically explores the difference between jails and prisons, which are often conflated in most discussions regarding mass incarceration. 

The film follows activists that uplift the memory of Kalief Browder as they advocate for Local Law 42 to end solitary confinement in NYC, bail reform, and the closure of dysfunctional and harmful facilities like Rikers Island Jail that often lead to deaths of people who are awaiting trial — all while humanizing the lives of impacted people and dismantling harmful narratives of victimhood and showcasing empowerment. 

The film also sheds light on the realities of closing Rikers Island Jail by the legally-mandated deadline of August 31, 2027, and highlights an emerging intersection between criminal justice and environmental justice, using the proposed Renewable Rikers initiative as a case study to inspire inspire innovative approaches to addressing the climate crisis.

"Thoughtfully pulled together by Sisa Bueno in her feature directorial debut, the tapestry on hand depicts a deep-rooted relationship between Kalief, Venida and their communities. The brilliant balance between honoring their legacies through artistic medium and a rich archive interlaced with further documentation gives us the tools to unpack the stark reality of the injustices which befell Kalief and Venida — and to prepare for the fight ahead." — Casey Baron, Tribeca Festival Senior Programmer

SISA BUENO, Producer-Director- Cinematographer
Originally from New York City, Sisa Bueno is a Producer-Director-Cinematographer dedicated to exploring powerful ripple effects within humanity by creating a deeply resonant cinematic experience for transcendent and expansive stories. Her most recent feature film FOR VENIDA, FOR KALIEF had its world premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival in the U.S. Documentary Competition, and has been covered by Democracy Now!, The Guardian, NBC and NPR. Her work has received support from the Ford Foundation, ITVS-PBS Open Call, Sundance Documentary Fund, International Documentary Association (IDA), Firelight Media Lab Fellowship, and the Film Independent Documentary Lab Fellowship among others. She studied both film production and interactive technologies at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University (NYU).