Free to Care
A single mother with a passion for nursing, Lisa Creason wanted the freedom to pursue her dreams. When an unjust law prohibited her from doing so, she took the fight into her own hands and ended up opening doorways for thousands like her.
Location
Year
Credits
Directors: Chris Temple & Owen Dubeck
Producer: Jenna Kelly, Jo Jensen
Editor: Princess Hairston
Executive Producers: Austin Berg, Ryan Green, Zach Ingrasci
Original Score by: Nate Zuercher
Supervising Sound Editor: Trevor Gates
Re-Recording Mixer: Jason Dotts
Key Image and Art Direction: Carlos Arteaga, Thea Baldwin
Visual Effects Artist: Mat Quinn
Photographer: Joe Barnas
Post Production Supervisor: Joe Kaiser
A partnership with Iron Light Labs
Awards
Grand Jury Prize Austin Film Festival 2022
Audience Award Nominee MountainFilm Festival 2022
Impact
In 1993, Lisa Creason was incarcerated for attempting to rob a Subway cash register. A single mother with a passion for nursing, Lisa Creason wanted the freedom to pursue her dreams. Years later, while she was in nursing school, Illinois legislators passed a law preventing her from becoming a nurse. Lisa succeeded in overturning this law, resulting in helping thousands of people rise out of poverty.
Optimist teamed up with the nonprofit Iron Light Labs to make this short documentary to highlight Lisa’s triumphant success and shed light on the work yet to be done.
While Lisa succeeded in Illinois, there are 15 states where she could not be a nurse today because of her criminal record. Our impact campaign is working to change that.
To host a screening or support the campaign, email natalie@optimist.co
