Back to the Two Films...
There's lots happening in the news these days (about many things...but specifically the death penalty). But I want to step back and say a few things about the films I mentioned earlier that were at Sundance. Sadly, I didn't make it to either film. I'm very dissappointed about that, but schedules never worked out.
Angela wrote a good blog about Shakespere Behind Bars on her website, and there were several comments, including one by the "Founder and Producing Artistic Director" himself. I remember being in NYC a couple of summers ago driving to a grocery store in Brooklyn when I heard a story on NPR about a group of inmates performing Shakespeare. I remember getting emotional over the segment...just the idea of it sounded amazing. I thought to myself...now THAT would make a great documentary. I can't wait to see it. I spoke with someone at Sundance who responded to the film this way: "put an ounce of beauty into people's lives and it has the potential to change them completely". it's true.
I met the filmmakers who made After Innocence, (but alas wasn't able to see the film yet). Their Sundance group consisted of the director, producers, the editor, Jessica's sister, exonerees from the film and lawyers from The Innocence Project. Often we talked about Deadline--everyone either said they heard about the film and wanted to see it or that they saw it and loved it. After Innocence also has an interview with Governor Ryan...so I'm even more curious. I found a blog entry about the film. Here's the last paragraph from it:
After the film ended the film maker welcomed a group of the exonerated to the stage for a Q&A period in what had to be one of the most emotional moments in the history of Sundance. One women stood up, and in a quivering voice, explained that she was a prosecutor from Los Angeles, and that she was very sorry for being part of a system that did this to them. She started sobbing deeply and the room was dead silent. She composed herself and added that every prosecutor and law enforcement official should see this movie. We can only hope.
Posted by katherine at 11:37 AM
Comments
Oh my GOD! That woman who made After The Innocence was at a bunch of events that we shot for Deadline. I saw her around and she was literally a one woman band! We saw so many people who were making films while we were making Deadline and I always wondered what happened to them and their projects. I'll have to check it out.
Posted by: Angela at February 1, 2005 12:34 PM
