Review by Doug Cooper
Narrated by Samuel L Jackson | UK certification E | UK RRP £12.99
DVD Region 2 | Runtime 84 minutes | Written and directed by Vadim Jean
This quietly powerful documentary must have provided director Vadim Jean with a worthy respite from his Terry Pratchett adaptations for Sky. Who thought he had it in him?
It tells of the Angola 3 - Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox and Robert King, African Americans convicted of crimes and sent to Angola prison in Louisiana in the early '70s. They were all scrutinised by the prison authorities because of their loyalty to the Black Panther movement. While there Wallace and Woodfox were put in solitary confinement for the murder of a prison guard, though there was not one shred of evidence against them. They spent 36 years in solitary and are still now languishing in the jail.
King's case was separate. He spent 29 years in solitary even though he wasn't present at the scene of the crime. Trumped up charges for another murder placed him there. His conviction was subsequently overturned in 2001 and he was eventually released. Since then he has campaigned tirelessly for the release of the other two prisoners. His description of the harsh conditions imposed on them in solitary, such as having to eat their food with their hands through the cell bars, the meals not allowed to be brought in to their cells, is eye-opening.
Proceedings are dull in the early stages but over time this compelling documentary acquires a subtle force that is beguiling. The sheer injustice imposed on the participants takes hold and makes for a dramatic call for help. The story isn't over yet but this film tells you how it would like it to end. Very well done and affecting enough without being hysterical or preachy.
EXTRAS ★ The short film Letters to Angola.