Breaking Point

Since our country's founding, abuses of power by law enforcement have shaped the American criminal justice system, often resulting in wrongful convictions. One of the most hidden and consequential stages of a criminal prosecution is the interrogation, where coercive and deceptive tactics can pressure innocent people into confessing to crimes they did not commit.

Breaking Point examines this critical stage through collaboration with six exonerees who falsely confessed and were wrongfully imprisoned. Using portraits and firsthand testimony, the project reveals how guilt-presumptive interrogation practices—

including isolation, confrontation, deception, and psychological pressure—can push any one of us to a breaking point.

The project challenges conventional assumptions about guilt and personal responsibility, exposing how easily they can be manipulated. It asks viewers to confront the reality of coercive interrogation and recognize the vulnerability inherent in these encounters. In doing so, it underscores the urgent need to reexamine interrogation practices and advance meaningful systemic reform.

Vanessa Gathers