Anelia Sutton, better known by her pen name Anne Smith, is currently in development on a feature film adaptation of her 2021 book “Clear Her Name,” published via the IRON Sharpens IRON Council. The film will be comparable to Netflix and Ava Duvernay’s “When They See Us” and Hank Steinberg and ABC’s legal drama “For Life.” It discusses the social justice topic of wrongful convictions in a powerful way and will leave you thinking more deeply about the injustices of the criminal and mental health systems.
“Clear Her Name” tells the story of a mother who sets out to exonerate her daughter after being spat out by the mental health system and arrested for attempted murder. When the young woman goes to get her wisdom teeth removed and is prescribed an incorrect dosage of medicine for her recovery, she suffers from side effects and becomes uncharacteristically violent. After her daughter’s arrest, Anelia sets out to uncover the truth behind her daughter’s conviction to free her from the grips of the criminal justice and mental health systems.
In the book, the characters see the breakdowns and injustices of these systems, and its film adaptation will allow audiences to see these issues firsthand. These entities are powerful — everyone from her doctors to her attorneys labels Anne’s daughter as a monster and condemns her in the public eye. This is the harsh truth of how people are mistreated by these societal institutions that are meant to protect us from wrongdoing, not be another source of pain.
Inspiring others to fight back
Sutton’s book aims to inspire people who aren’t lawyers to advocate for themselves and their families, fight these wrongful convictions, and protect people who are actually innocent. Sutton’s hope is that the film will bring this message to an even wider audience. Since its launch just a year ago, her book has received a great deal of acclaim, having been featured on NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, and more.
Part of Sutton’s mission with her work is to give back to the community through social justice films. She hopes that her films, like “Clear Her Name,” will inspire and inform audiences of all ages while providing entertainment at the same time. The topics that Sutton discusses in her work are very serious, and it is essential to create a discussion around these themes. The best way of doing so is by presenting these issues in a way that is more easily consumed, and the “Clear Her Name” film offers viewers just that.
Bringing this story to the public eye was not easy for Sutton, but she knew it had to be done. Unfortunately, few stories of innocent people who are wrongly convicted and exploited by the system get the level of public attention needed to bring about real change. However, using this true story as an example allows Sutton to start the conversation in a meaningful way and empower the world to do the research necessary to stand up for what is right.
Anelia Carmila Sutton, who wrote “Clear Her Name” under pen name Anne Smith, is an American writer born in the Republic of Panama, and bestselling co-author Performance 360 with Richard Branson. Sutton has been featured in over 240 media outlets and web portals including NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox News, Huffington Post and Forbes. She is a U.S. Navy veteran with an Honorable Discharge, and received many medals and awards including America’s Premier Experts Award. For updates please visit https://clearhername.com and https://ironsharpensironcouncil.com
