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."

The Independent, 27 April 2009

Death Row calling: The man broadcasting to save his life

Mumia Abu-Jamal, a US journalist, faces renewed calls for him to be put to death.

Ian Burrell reports:

Few journalists have polarised public opinion quite like Mumia Abu-Jamal, although his fame owes less to his writing and broadcasting than to the fact that he has spent more than 27 years in jail, mostly on death row.

In the confines of his cell at Green State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania, Abu-Jamal, who despite his denials was convicted of murdering a Philadelphia police officer in 1981, has written a string of big-selling books (the latest with a foreword by Angela Davis).

Using his ration of three 15-minute phone calls a week, he broadcasts via a website called Prison Radio, amassing a catalogue of podcasts on subjects as diverse as the oeuvre of author CLR James to the activities of pirates operating off the Horn of Africa, a piece he produced last week. In each broadcast he signs off, in a rich voice, with "from Death Row, this is Mumia Abu-Jamal".

In Germany, fund-raising concerts are held for Abu-Jamal's cause; in the Saint-Denis area of Paris, a street has been named after him (a gesture that so enraged America's Fraternal Order of Police that members flew to France to protest). To Maureen Faulkner, the wife of the murdered officer, Daniel, Abu-Jamal is unquestionably guilty: a "remorseless, hate-filled killer".

The fate of the 54-year-old has become central to the lives of Livia Giuggioli-Firth and her husband, the actor Colin Firth. The couple have invested money in a film which highlights flaws in the case against the former Black Panther activist, who faces renewed calls for his execution after the US Supreme Court rejected his latest appeal for clemency this month.

Sitting in a coffee bar at St Pancras International station in north London, Giuggioli-Firth holds a DVD she has produced about the background to the case: a documentary that the Firths are distributing through a network of online contacts. Although it is directed by Marc Evans (whose feature films include Snow Cake with Sigourney Weaver), no British broadcaster has yet chosen to screen the documentary, which was shown at the Sundance Film Festival.

"Considering the amount of rubbish you see on television, you would think that a channel would be interested in broadcasting a movie like this," says Giuggioli-Firth of the film, which includes interviews with Angela Davis and her fellow authors Alice Walker and Noam Chomsky, and the rappers Snoop Dogg and Mos Def. All of them agree Abu-Jamal should be re-tried.

The documentary includes stills taken by the photojournalist Pedro Polakoff, which were not used at the trial but show a police officer handling the alleged murder weapon without gloves (contradicting evidence given in court), and a crime scene that was not properly secured. The stenographer at the trial has claimed she heard the judge, Albert Sabo, say, "I'm going to help them fry the nigger", which the judge denies. Amnesty International argued in 2001 that the trial violated international standards.

Abu-Jamal represented himself in court and, except for denying murder, chose not to say what happened when he went to the aid of his brother, Billy Cook, who was being arrested by Officer Faulkner. Neither did Abu-Jamal call his brother, who fled the murder scene, as a witness.

Giuggoli-Firth acknowledges the remarkable nature of the case and the emotion it arouses. "The pro-Mumia people can make him out to be almost like a saint, a Che Guevara figure, whereas the anti-Mumia people say he is a black-hearted murderer," she says. "We decided to make a movie around what Mumia represents and why it has become such a political and inflammatory case."

The film is called In Prison My Whole Life because it tells the story through the eyes of a young Briton, William Francome, who was born on the same night that Abu-Jamal was arrested and, as a child, learned of the case from his mother, a US political activist. The documentary highlights the racial politics in Philadelphia at the time of the shooting and the black radical group MOVE, which Abu-Jamal supported and was later bombed by police from a helicopter.

"We believe it is possible that there was another person in Billy Cook's car that night," says Giuggoli-Firth. Cook gave the film an unprecedented interview, saying there was someone with him but declining to say who. Such theories cut little ice with more right-wing elements of the Philadelphia media. Michael Smerconish, author of a book called Murdered By Mumia, celebrated the court ruling and condemned Abu-Jamal's campaign as "a charade".

Giuggoli-Firth, who describes Abu-Jamal as an "incredibly intelligent and articulate man", believes the time has come for the prolific writer and broadcaster to speak about the details of his case. "Mumia has always proclaimed his innocence and said he is going to talk the day he has a new trial," she says. "Now he has to say something. There is nothing else he can do."

The DVD costs £12.49 plus P&P at www.inprisonmywholelife.com 

Mumia Abu-Jamal broadcasts at www.prisonradio.org 

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"

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.

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)

Some information courtesy of The Internet Movie Database