Mumia Abu-Jamal film shown in U.S.
An interview with Livia Giuggioli Firth
Published Sep 19, 2008 11:30 PM
The following edited and excerpted interview was written by Hans
Bennett, a member of Journalists for Mumia (www.Abu-Jamal-News.com). Read the
entire interview at
insubordination.blogspot.com/2008/09/interview-new-british-film-about-mumia.html.
Go to www.millions4mumia.org to read an important Sept. 12 legal update on
Abu-Jamal’s case.
For the first time since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last
January, “In Prison My Whole Life” will be shown to a U.S.
audience. This new film about the internationally renowned death-row journalist
Mumia Abu-Jamal was shown at the Urbanworld Film Festival along with two other
screenings in New York City earlier in September. The film is also being shown
at the Critical Resistance Conference in Oakland, Calif., on Sept. 26.
This British documentary premiered at the prestigious London Film Festival and
at Rome’s International Film Festival on Oct. 25, 2007, at which point I
interviewed William Francome, who is a central character in the film. The
film’s trailer begins with Francome explaining that he’s
“been aware of Mumia for as long as I can remember. That’s because
he was arrested on the night I was born for the murder of a Philadelphia police
officer. As my mom would often remind me, every birthday I had has been another
year that Mumia has spent in prison. ... I am going on a journey to find out
about the man who has been in prison my whole life.”
With the acclaimed British actor Colin Firth as an executive producer,
“In Prison My Whole Life” is directed by Marc Evans and produced by
Livia Giuggioli Firth and Nick Goodwin Self. The film has interviews with Alice
Walker, Angela Davis, Noam Chomsky, Amy Goodman, Ramona Africa, and musicians
Mos Def, Snoop Dogg and Steve Earle.
Amnesty International concluded in a previous report that Abu-Jamal’s
original 1982 trial, where he was convicted of fatally shooting Philadelphia
Police Officer Daniel Faulkner and sentenced to death, was unfair. Amnesty
International is supporting “In Prison” as part of its
international campaign to abolish the death penalty. Amnesty International U.K.
Director Kate Allen says, “It’s shocking that the U.S. justice
system has repeatedly failed to address the appalling violation of Mumia
Abu-Jamal’s fundamental fair trial rights.”
In the 2007 interview, Francome disclosed that the film will prominently
feature the startling Dec. 9, 1981, crime scene photos that were recently
discovered by German author Michael Schiffmann and are published in his new
book.
“In Prison” also features an interview with Abu-Jamal’s
brother Billy Cook, who was at the scene on Dec. 9, 1981, after Officer
Faulkner pulled his car over. The first time he has ever been interviewed on
camera, Cook denies the accusation that he struck Faulkner in his face, by
which he allegedly instigated the undisputed beating given to him by Faulkner.
Cook shows “In Prison”’s interviewers the scars he still has
on his head today.
Cook says: “They arrested me for assaulting him, but I never laid a hand
on him. I was only trying to protect myself. I never hit him. I never hit
him.” Cook says that right before he was beaten bloody with the police
flashlight, Faulkner “was kind of vulgar and nasty. And if I remember
correctly he threw a slur in. ... ‘N——r get back in the
car.’”
Hans Bennett: When did you first hear of Mumia Abu-Jamal?
Livia Giuggioli Firth: A couple of years ago, at a dinner
party at some friends’ house, I met William Francome and we started to
chat (as you do at parties!). He told me he just finished college and wanted to
make a documentary about Mumia. I’d never heard of him so he explained to
me who he was. When I got home and googled him ... it was like opening
Pandora’s box! That was enough to say: we need to dig into this!
HB: What was it like making the film? What role did you play
as a producer?
LGF: Marc Evans, the director, is the one who did the film. I
produced it—which means my role has been the ball breaker! But it was
very interesting to start the “Mumia quest” from scratch and with
folks who had never heard of him. Apart from William, none of us (Marc the
director, Colin, Nick and I who produced it, Mags the editor and so on for the
whole crew) had any idea of the implications in Mumia’s case.
If you detach everything from this “figure” constructed by both
Mumia’s supporters and detractors, you just find a man who has been a
victim of politics more than anything else. This was what really fascinated us
all when we approached the subject, and this is why Marc Evans wanted to
contextualize Mumia’s case within the African-American political story.
If you do not put Mumia in context—you cannot understand this story.
Because the whole scenario around Dec. 9, 1981, was so complicated, distorted
and messed up, we decided to go to Amnesty International—an organization
recognized worldwide for being completely objective and impartial—and ask
for their guidance. They published a book in 2000 about Mumia’s case and
concluded that it is impossible to know whether this man is guilty or not
because the trial was in violation of international law—a completely
unfair trial.
HB: After researching this case, what are 3 facts that you
consider most striking regarding the need for a new trial?
LGF: There are so many compelling things about this case that
overcome any and all assaults from those who refuse to accept that the core
issue here is an unfair trial. Having said this, some examples are: First,
there was no real forensic evidence presented in court. They never officially
tested Mumia’s hands for traces of gunpowder, never officially found the
bullet shot through Faulkner’s back, and more. With the discovery of
Pedro Polakoff’s crime scene photographs, you can clearly see how messed
up the crime scene was that night!
Second, the testimonies supporting the prosecution scenario were
false—all of them!
Third, the presiding judge, Albert Sabo, was heard saying, on the first day of
the trial, “I am going to help them fry that n——r.”
Then, shocking us even more, Mumia’s 1995-1997 PCRA appeal was before
this same judge. Are you joking?
HB: Mumia’s current appeal to the Supreme Court will be
citing 3rd Circuit Judge Thomas Ambro’s dissenting opinion, which
declared that the court had actually created new standards for a Batson claim
when it denied Mumia’s claim. Do you think this strong statement has
received adequate coverage in the mainstream media?
LGF: Not really, but again, there are so many awful cases in
America like Mumia’s. So many innocent people are sentenced after unfair
trials. Look at Troy Davis! That is another horrible case. Hopefully the film
will help people to think and realize that maybe there is more to the story.
And hopefully it will help other cases too.
You can’t dismiss Mumia as “a cop killer.” Also, until there
is a new trial, you will never know if he really is “a cold blooded
monster” as they call him.
HB: Do you think the Supreme Court will now consider
Mumia’s case?
LGF: This is a very difficult question. I do not know. It is
not very likely, but you never know. If I did not have hope, I would never have
produced this movie!
HB: Your film features a new interview with Billy Cook. What
do you think is the significance of this interview?
LGF: Well, first of all, Billy has never spoken since the
night of the shooting. He was not called to testify and
“disappeared” after that. So this is the first time he gets to talk
about what happened that night. He will not tell the whole story until there is
a new trial, but he confirmed a few interesting things. You must see the
movie!
HB: Anything else to add?
LGF: I hope Mumia will have a new trial because he has been
sitting in solitary confinement for 27 years, and it is a disgrace. We will
never know the truth about Dec. 9, 1981, until then.
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