In Prison My Whole Life

More info and photos of filming

"In Prison My Whole Life" available here and here

Interview with

Livia Giuggioli Firth

(co-producer)

***

In Prison My Whole Life official website.

William Francome's official blog

Summary:

Authored documentary. A journey of Will Francome to find about the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Mumia was arrested on the day Will was born and has since become America's most famous and controversial death row inmate. The film features interviews with Noam Chomsky, Alice Walker, Mos Def, Snoop Dogg, Robert Meeropol, Steve Earle, Angela Davis and many others.

" My name is William Francome. On The night I was born, Mumia Abu-Jamal was arrested for the murder of a Philadelphia police officer. He was sentenced to death and has been awaiting execution ever since. In the last 25 years he has become an icon for the anti-death penalty and free speech movements and a thorn in the side of law enforcement organisations across America and the world. This is the journey of one man, a young 25 year old English kid (Me) to find out about another man, who coincidentally has been 'In Prison My Whole Life'. Follow my journey, as I look into the case, the issues surrounding it and speak to esteemed activists, academics, musicians and others to try and find out more about the man, the case, and the hype surrounding it all."

Firth gets serious for prison film

20 Januari 2008, AP.

St Trinian's actor Colin Firth got serious for his latest project.

The star produced a documentary about American prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, who has been on death row for 25 years for murder.

In Prison My Whole Life sees William Francome go on a journey to understand the case. Firth's wife Livia also acts as producer.

"I was attracted to the unlikely journey of a white English boy going on a journey to meet a black American man of a completely different generation who's been incarcerated all his life," he said.

"I wanted to try and see where that journey led. The film is premiering at the Sundance Film Festival.

Firth and his wife both have strong feelings on the death penalty.

"Without any hesitation or question, there's no argument for it at all," he said.

"I've heard it argued for vigorously but I don't think any of those arguments touch the sides. It's an utter obscenity in every conceivable case.

"It's nothing to do with how heinous the crime is. It's wrong for the state to kill - to be given a licence to do that is just wrong. It's wrong for us to be a part of that and to use that as an instrument of justice."

***

Colin Firth and Marc Evans Cannes 2007

talking about "In prison my whole life"

Trailer 3:

Trailer 2:

Trailer 1

Some info thanks to the State Policy Director from www.ncadp.org

October 2007

Acording to William Francome:

In Prison My Whole Life' has been accepted to have it's worldwide premiere in the

51st BFI Film Festival and the Rome International Film Festival in Italy.

The film will premier on the same night on Thursday, October 25th.

Marc Evans, the films director will be presenting the film in Italy, while myself, Colin and Livia Firth, Nicola Giuggiolli, Katie and numerous others involved in the project will be in London.

For the London film festival, the film will be shown at the Odeon at 6.30 pm on the 25th of October for it's official world premiere. It will then have a second screening at the BFI Southbank Studio on the 26th of October at 7.30pm. On the 28th of October at 2.15pm we will have a third screening as part of the festival at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton with a Q & A session with myself and Marc Evans after the film.

*** Last update: Odeon now fully booked. ***

Personally, I'm still a bit in shock about it since when we started this I couldn't imagine it getting into the film festivals and sitting on a billing of 'New British Cinema' with Nick Broomfield.

I'm a bit nervous about the attention and having to do question and answer sessions but it's a good chance to get more of a debate going about Mumia's case and the upcoming decision in the third circuit.

We're hoping for a full house so we'll hope to see you there.

William Francome

Livia Firth said:

'The film illustrates another example of the many reasons why the death penalty is never an acceptable form of punishment.

'Amnesty International has contributed to the making of the film, having previously called for a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal and we are thrilled that they have agreed to support the film as part of their ongoing worldwide campaign against capital punishment.'

April 2007

Snoop Dogg was denied a British visa last month. The 35-year-old rapper, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, has been touring Europe with Sean "Diddy" Combs. The duo was forced to cancel British dates after authorities denied the visa. "I was shocked by the decision but am optimistic that the British authorities will soon realize my global efforts to promote peace and grant me the opportunity to come back for my fans," the rapper said recently during an interview for the documentary "In Prison My Whole Life." Segments of Broadus' interview were released late last month by a publicist for actor Colin Firth, who is producing the documentary on death row inmate Mumia Abu Jamal.

The interview had been scheduled for London but was filmed in Amsterdam instead.

2006:

Colin Firth is usually to be found in front of the camera, doing his part in the likes of Bridget Jones’ Diary or Nanny McPhee. But he’s stepping behind it to produce a documentary called "In Prison My Whole Life".

Colin Firth (Love Actually) and Livia Firth - Giuggioli are producing In Prison My Whole Life, a feature documentary about a young white British man named William Francome with an unusual connection to controversial death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal. ''He was born on the day that [Philadelphia police] officer Daniel Faulkner was shot,'' explains Firth, ''[which is] the crime for which Mumia was condemned [to death]. Francome's [American] mother, being something of an activist, made him aware of this all his life. Every birthday has marked the incarceration of this man on the other side of the world across this huge cultural distance. It's connected him with something that would otherwise be very, very far away.''

Firth, who only learned of the Abu-Jamal case after his wife introduced him to Francome, is working with director Marc Evans (My Little Eye, Snow Cake) to follow Francome's exploration of the case and its place in the development of African-American culture and political awareness over the last quarter-century. This documentary is the first for Firth, his wife already produced with Marc Evans the documentary "A Dream Dreamed in Sicily," about filmmaker Giuseppe Tornatore.

"My point of entry was this white, middle-class English guy named William Francome, whose birthday coincided with the killing, and a journey of this boy's consciousness,"

Firth. "It's a prism to look at how much society and grassroots politics have changed over 25 years."

''We're not really taking a position of who is innocent or not of that crime,'' says Firth (who is nonetheless firmly against the death penalty), ''but more the fact that Mumia himself has become such a catalyst for political passion on both sides of the argument.''

The documentary will feature interviews with Mos Def and Alice Walker. The prison so far hasn't granted camera access to Abu-Jamal.

Firth's wife, Livia Giuggioli, also will produce the documentary with Domenico Procacci. Lee Daniels is exec producing. Marc Evans, who directed Firth in the feature "Trauma," helms.

Firth and Giuggioli-Firth plan to have the film completed in time to screen at next year's Cannes Film Festival (2007).

(Variety / EW)

(Authored Documentary)

Directed by:
Marc Evans

Writing credits:
Marc Evans and William Francome

Producers:
Colin Firth
Livia Firth - Giuggioli
Nick Goodwin
Domenico Procacci.
Lee Daniels		Executive Producer