Desc: Directing Dissent: Directed by Sophie Hamacher. Directing Dissent is a film about John Roemer, high school teacher and social activist. Roemer's story takes us through the heated battles of the Civil Rights Movement and involves dramatic experiences in the fight to desegregate Maryland. The film is a character study of a loved and respected rebel as well as an exploration of the philosophy behind civil disobedience and the ways it can be applied today. Set in Baltimore, a city with a turbulent history of charged race relations, the film not only shows Roemer's distinctive and unconventional style of teaching, but uses it as a framework within which to explore his past.