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The documentary “After Innocence” follows the lives of seven wrongly convicted men wh

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Wilton Dedge was imprisoned for rape in 1982 and served 22 years before being exonerated in 2004

Freedom is a subjective concept. Just ask the stars of “After Innocence.”

The documentary film, which screens at the James Bridges Theater tonight courtesy of Melnitz Movies, tells the stories of seven men who were wrongfully imprisoned for years, sometimes even decades, before their innocence was proven. With the charges against them discredited through DNA technology, they joined the small collection of U.S. citizens who have experienced that most bittersweet of legal processes – exoneration.

While they no longer suffer the confinement of a cell or the indignity of labels such as “rapist” or “murderer,” these men are thrown back into the world with nothing, save the haunting realization that years of their lives have been irretrievably lost. For them, prison bars are replaced with the paralyzing memory of senselessly squandered days. If the exonerated are free, it is only in the legal sense.

“They suffered an injustice when they were wrongly convicted, and they suffer another injustice afterwards,” said Jessica Sanders, the film’s director and producer. “Once they are released, they are treated worse than guilty people.”

“After Innocence” illustrates the often-overlooked challenges facing men whose wrongful convictions are overturned. Though exoneration is typically viewed as a happy ending – the ultimate triumph of truth and justice – the film emphasizes the arduous epilogue that inevitably follows.

“The (exonerated men) opened up their lives to us,” Sanders said. “They saw that this was larger than themselves.”

Consequently, the audience is left not only with general impressions about the frustrations plaguing the exonerated and the long-standing shortcomings of the justice system, but specific examples of the obstacles these men must overcome.

Scott Hornoff, a police officer wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder, was successfully readjusting to life on the outside. His primary worry regarded the toll his ordeal had enacted on his family, particularly his elderly mother.

“What this has done to her, it breaks my heart,” he says in the film, the pain obvious in his voice.

In a particularly memorable scene, one of the freed men, Dennis Maher, struggles to find love through Internet dating services after 19 years on lockdown. Using the name “DNA Dennis,” an allusion to the science that ended his incarceration, he pursues romance after nearly two decades out of the game.

Lamenting the less-than-enthusiastic reaction women have upon learning of his time in prison, he serves as a reminder that the challenges facing the exonerated extend even to one of the most commonplace of dilemmas – the struggle to find a decent date on Saturday night.

Economic concerns loom above all others for several of the featured freed men. Since most states have not yet passed legislation for the compensation of the exonerated, many left prison with no way to support themselves or their loved ones.

This is one area where Sanders hopes the film can make an enduring impact.

“The film is part of a larger campaign to gain compensation for those who are wrongfully incarcerated,” she said. “We have a flawed criminal justice system, but there are reforms that could be made. With awareness, change can happen.”

From romance to family to finances, the exonerated men faced a wide array of challenges after being freed. But Sanders asserted that the most compelling aspect of “After Innocence” lies in the optimism that links all seven men.

“The thing that connects them is that they were really positive,” she said. “When I actually met the (exonerated men) and saw how they were not broken, I was really inspired. These people are survivors.”

Indeed, the documentary is, above all, an account of the exonerated mens’ triumph over obstacles and success in fostering some peace of mind after their long ordeal. The men are now graduating from college, finding employment, becoming community leaders, and generally putting their frustrating past behind them.

And the romantically hapless DNA Dennis? Now married with a child.

Sanders shared an anecdote from the 2005 Sundance Festival, where “After Innocence” won the Special Jury Prize, which she said illustrates the emotional power of the documentary.

During a press conference following the Sundance screening, Herman Atkins, one of the freed men, described his reaction upon seeing “After Innocence” for the first time.

“He said he didn’t shed a tear for 13 years in prison, but he was crying like a baby for two hours while watching the film.”