Multimedia filmmaker and researcher at SITU Research, applying advanced digital forensics to the fields of law, journalism, and activism. Former editor at The New York Times.
Has collaborated with Frontline PBS, Human Rights Watch, Bloomberg, and The National Lawyers Guild, among others. Contact: evangrothjan@gmail.com
Vuelos de la Muerte
Senior Researcher & Director | Documentary
"Vuelos de la Muerte," a 14-minute film produced in collaboration with Centro Prodh, presents one of the first visual assemblages of evidence revealing the systematic and highly organized program of disappearances orchestrated by key military officials in Guerrero, Mexico, during the so-called Dirty War.
Using both open and closed-source research, along with advanced digital forensics, a scaled 3D model of Acapulco, the Pie de la Cuesta Airbase, and the IAI Arava 201 plane were created. Notably, a declassified satellite image from the US Hexagon program served as a crucial piece of evidence for mapping the base as it was in 1975, helping to reveal the layout and activities of the airbase during that period.
A press conference following the film's release featured activist Alicia de los Ríos Merino, César Contreras León from Centro Prodh, David Fernández Dávalos from the Mechanism for Historical Clarification, Alán García from the National Human Rights Commission, and Evan Grothjan from SITU Research.
Widely circulated in Mexico, the film demands the incoming presidential administration to facilitate the release of the full scope of the military’s archives.
UPDATE: On August 7, 2024, a list of 183 purported victims of The Death Flights was released.
ICA Archives | Film Scans
Declassified Hexagon Satellite Program | Photographic Negatives & Scan
Military Investigation, Former Detainees at Pie de la Cuesta Airbase | Archival Photos (Faces Obscured)
Press Conference | Video
Reconstruction of Pie de la Cuesta Airbase
Military Investigation, Aerial Photos of Pie de la Cuesta Airbase | Photocopies
Military Investigation, The Bungalow | Photocopy
Reconstruction of Acapulco
Reconstruction of IAI Arava 201 and Flight paths
Flickr | Archival Photo
Rambo: First Blood Part II | Film Screenshots
Sentinel Facebook Group | Archival Photos
Military Investigation, Inspection of Pie de la Cuesta Airbase | Photocopies
Beneath the Rubble: Documenting Devastation and Loss in Mariupol
Senior Researcher | Spatial Reconstruction & Multimedia Presentation
Human Rights Watch, SITU Research, and Truth Hounds collaborated to document the aftermath of Russia's assault on Mariupol, aiming to promote accountability for the perpetrators, preserve the city’s history, and strengthen advocacy against the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
To convey the human-scale impact of the city’s destruction, case studies of damaged and destroyed buildings across Mariupol were selected based on interviews conducted by Human Rights Watch. First-person perspectives were visualized using videos scraped from social media, 3D site models were reconstructed by aligning these videos in architectural software, and advanced animation techniques assured a unified narrative to the larger story. This approach resulted in both an interactive article and video available HERE.
Talk at Harvard Law School International Human Rights Clinic
Case Studies | 3D Rendering
Sow, et al. v. City of New York, et al.
Senior Researcher | Multimedia Video
In 2020, thousands of civil rights demonstrators protested against police brutality following the death of George Floyd. Over several months, the NYPD responded with widespread force, resulting in hundreds of individuals being injured, jailed, or otherwise harmed. In response, the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) formed the BLM/Floyd Litigation Task Force to file a class action lawsuit against the City of New York. The evidence provided by the NYPD during discovery included police body cam and helicopter footage, as well as documentation from protesters, totaling over 6,000 video assets. These were used to categorize four types of constitutional violations: improper use of batons, improper use of pepper spray, excessive use of force, and kettling.
Kettling, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, is a method of crowd control where police form lines around a crowd to prevent people from leaving a particular area. Due to the spatial complexities involved in visually demonstrating this tactic, several methods were employed to show the widespread use of kettling during this period.
Aerial footage was the most straightforward method to demonstrate the NYPD’s tactics, as it provided an overhead perspective that made it easier to visualize the gradual formation of kettles by delineating groups from above. To depict kettling from the ground level, a four-channel synchronized video presentation, accompanied by three-dimensional mapping, was utilized.
After these materials were presented to the defense, along with materials related to the three other constitutional violations, an out-of-court settlement was reached.
Manhattan Bridge - Kettling | Video
Mott Haven, Bronx - Kettling | Video
Protest 77, Washington Square Park, Map of Area | 3D Render
Synced 4-Channel Video | Screenshot
Protest 26, Midtown, Map of Area | 3D Render
Synced 4-Channel Video | Screenshot
The Chain of Failures that left 17 Dead in the Bronx Fire
Graphics/Multimedia Editor | Scrolling Multimedia Article
Reporters, graphics editors and engineering experts collaborated to map how a fire in a Bronx high-rise killed 17 residents in January.