| Students witness power of documentary film |
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| Written by Matthew Tomlin |
| Thursday, 22 January 2009 00:00 |
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Associate Professor of Communication John McHale's documentary film, which helped free a Missouri man from death row, "Picture This: A Fight to Save Joe" was shown last night in Schroeder Hall. Produced and directed by McHale and narrated by Danny Glover, the film played an integral role in the Missouri Supreme Court's decision to release Joe Amrine in 2002. "This film shows that students can make a difference, when they see a problem in the world, there are ways that they can reach out," McHale said. Found guilty of murder without evidence or witnesses, "Picture This" leads audiences through the legal and public fight for Amrine's life while highlighting the injustices that landed him on death row. The film was produced in an intense six-week period, as McHale and his crew worked in fear of Amrine's impending execution. The ISU Documentary Project, a group that promotes student production of documentary film on political and social justice, sponsored Wednesday night's viewing of the film. "Documentary in particular allows us to see the world through the perspective of those who suffer injustice, or are fighting injustice, and it provides a uniquely personal way to communicate about things in our world that might be wrong," McHale said. The group meets Mondays at 5:30 p.m. in Fell Hall, room 48. Griffin Hammond and Brian Seay of the ISU Documentary Project both encouraged students interested in film to come. "We essentially celebrate documentary film, whether it be watching them or making them..." Seay, graduate student in the School of Communication, said. "If people don't have the video production skills necessary to make a film, we help them out." Many of the students in attendance Wednesday night, were impressed by McHale's film. "How can you not deny the power of it?" Dan Malloy, a senior mass communication major, said. "It's pretty awesome that a film can get a guy off death row, even though he was innocent in the first place." "I think what makes America unique and beautiful, is that we have opportunities for free expression, and particularly with mass media and advances in technology, we're able to amplify our voice to reach more people," McHale said. "Picture This" has been shown to audiences around the world, and was screened at the Amnesty International Film Festival and at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. For more information about the ISU Documentary Project, visit docproject.org. |
