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Time for a little harsh reality (which is what documentary cinema should be all about): in the corrupt Mexican penal system, simply being accused of a crime virtually guarantees one’s conviction and incarceration, regardless of evidence or actual guilt. Documentary filmmakers Roberto Hernández and Geoffrey Smith’s 2009 documentary Presumed Guilty screens this week at the TIFF Cinematheque as part of their on-going Human Rights Watch International Film Festival and the film will be introduced by some topical remarks from local Toronto activist, scholar, and speaker Mary Jo Leddy.

The film follows the story of a young Mexican man falsely accused of murder, José Antonio Zúñiga Rodriguez, nicknamed Toño. Perhaps slightly more fortunate than most others in his situation, Toño has been taken under the wing of lawyers Roberto Hernández and Layda Negrete, whose aim is to expose the corruption and injustice that reigns so arbitrarily and absolutely in the Mexican justice system. Courtroom scenes in the film are described as nothing short of Kafkaesque, as the complete lack of procedural ethics and any veneer of equity are easily discarded in favour of corrupt interests and personal gain.

Mary Jo Leddy is the director of the Romero House Community for Refugees in Toronto and a professor of religion and society at the University of Toronto’s Regis College. Her lifetime dedication to community activist work, especially with refugees, will throw light on some of the issues addressed by the film and underscore the unending importance of showing and seeing events, people, and political procedures that are frequently hidden from the view of global audiences. A discussion and Q&A will follow the film.

Click here for event details, ticket information, and to watch the trailer.