Thursday, April 09, 2009

NY: April 11: In Prison My Whole Life

The Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition NYC and Millions 4 Mumia/International Action Center present: In Prison My Whole Life, a new British documentary about the world renowned journalist who wrongfully sits on Pennsylvania’s death row at SCI Greene. This film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last year as well as appearing on that channel, December 8, 2008.

When: Saturday, April 11, 2009 @ 6:00PM
Where: International Action Center
55 West 17th Street 5th Floor (btw. 5th & 6th Ave)

Directions: take 1,2,3, F,V,A,C,E to 14th Street

Dinner will be served

Admission: $10, no one turned away for lack of funds

SYNOPSIS
William Francome is a fairly typical, white middle-class guy. Typical except for the fact that he is about to embark on a journey into the dark heart of the American judicial system; the tangled world of renowned Death Row prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal.

The connection between these two characters is a simple one, and the pretext for this film, as Will explains:

"I was born in London on December 9th 1981. Over 3000 miles away Mumia Abu-Jamal, a Black Panther and radical journalist, was arrested for the murder of a police officer in Philadelphia. He claimed he was innocent but was sentenced to death and has been awaiting execution ever since. Over the years, he has attracted massive international support from organisations like Amnesty International and world leaders like Nelson Mandela amongst others. I'm now 24 years old and in that time Mumia has become the most famous and controversial death row inmate in America".

Despite his situation, and against all odds, Mumia has managed to penetrate the consciousness of people like Will. Through his writings and his web and radio broadcasts from Death Row, he has become known to many as "the Voice of the Voiceless".

America’s most original minds. Never-seen-before footage and brand new evidence create a prevailing case for reasonable doubt while exploring the socio-political climate of America? past and present. Angela Davis, Mos Def, Noam Chomsky, Alice Walker, Snoop Dogg, Steve Earle, Amy Goodman and many others take us through a decades-old struggle for equality, fairness and respect that so many Americans strive for to this day.

Mumia has created a political storm but after the politicians have said their piece, after the court papers have been filed and the protestors have gone home, we are left with a film about a man? a father, a son, an inspiration and a pariah - who faces his twenty-fifth year on Death Row.

Extraordinary though Mumia’s story is, he is only one of 3,350 people currently on death row in the United States. This film allows him not only to speak to us, but also on behalf of those others who cannot find a voice.

Note: Mumia’s new book “Jailhouse Lawyers: Prisoners Defending Prisoners vs The USA" will be on sale for $15 and if you can’t pick it up then, come to our book party, on Saturday, April 25 at Riverside Church 120 Claremont Avenue 4PM MLK Room

For further information call 212 330-8029 or 212 633-6646 or visit freemumia.com or millions4mumia.org/

No comments: