J4H | Justice 4 Hank Skinner

Films

A selection of films & documentaries on the death penalty. Watch the available trailers in the playlist below:

DOCUMENTARIES

The People vs. Paul Crump - William Friedkin (1962) The People vs. Paul Crump – William Friedkin (1962)
After 14 stays of execution, Crump met Friedkin, then a local television director, in the Cook County Jail. Friedkin so believed in Crump s innocence and his worth as a human being that he and his cinematographer Bill Butler (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) took to the streets with lightweight cameras to appeal for Crump s return to society. The resulting film contributed to the commutation of Crump’s sentence, earned Friedkin several major awards, and launched his Hollywood career.

Paradise Lost - 3 parts documentary - Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky (1996) Paradise Lost – 3 parts documentary – Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky (1996)
A horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence. The story of the Memphis Three.

The Thin Blue Line - Errol Morris (1988) The Thin Blue Line – Errol Morris (1988)
A film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly sentenced to death for murder by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas.

The life and death of a serial killer - Nick Broomfield & Joan Churchill (2003) The life and death of a serial killer – Nick Broomfield & Joan Churchill (2003)
Nick Broomfield’s second documentary on Aileen Carol Wuornos, a highway prostitute who was executed in 2002 for killing six men in the state of Florida. This second installment includes the filmmaker’s testimony at Wuornos’s trial.

Deadline - Katy Chevigny & Kirsten Johnson (2004) Deadline – Katy Chevigny & Kirsten Johnson (2004)
A documentary on Illinois Governor George Ryan, who, with 60 days left in office, makes a decision on the fate of death row prisoners.

Fighting for life in the death-belt - Adam Elend & Jeff Marks (2005) Fighting for life in the death-belt – Adam Elend & Jeff Marks (2005)
This film follows legendary anti-death penalty attorney Stephen Bright through the final hours as he tries to prevent two clients from being executed.

The Trials of Darryl Hunt - Ricki Stern & Anne Sunberg (2006) The Trials of Darryl Hunt – Ricki Stern & Anne Sunberg (2006)
The Trials of Darryl Hunt is a feature documentary about a brutal rape/murder case and a wrongly convicted man, Darryl Hunt, who spent nearly twenty years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Both a social justice story and a personally driven narrative, the film chronicles this capital case from 1984 through 2004.

In prison my whole life - Mark Evans (2007) In prison my whole life – Mark Evans (2007)
A look at the life of imprisoned political activist and former Black Panther member, Mumia Abu-Jamal, whose death sentence for killing a police officer was overturned in 2001 due to errors made during his original 1982 sentencing hearing.

Race To Execution by Rachel Lyon (2007) Race To Execution by Rachel Lyon (2007)
Race to Execution is a gripping documentary that offers a compelling investigation of America’s death penalty, probing how race discrimination infects our capital punishment system.

On Death Row - Werner Herzog (2012) On Death Row – Werner Herzog (2012)
An inside look at a maximum security prison in Texas featuring interviews with death row prisoners.


FILMS

Dead man walking - Tim Robbins (1995) Dead Man Walking – Tim Robbins (1995)
A nun, while comforting a convicted killer on death row, empathizes with both the killer and his victim’s families.

The Green Mile - Frank Darabont (1999) The Green Mile – Frank Darabont (1999)
The lives of guards on death row are affected by one of their charges: a black man accused of child murder and rape, yet who has a mysterious gift.

Monster - Patty Jenkins (2003) Monster – Patty Jenkins (2003)
Based on the life of Aileen Wuornos, a Daytona Beach prostitute who became a serial killer.

The life of David Gale - Alan Parker (2003) The life of David Gale – Alan Parker (2003)
A man against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.

Capote - Bennett Miller (2005) Capote – Bennett Miller (2005)
In 1959, Truman Capote learns of the murder of a Kansas family and decides to write a book about the case. While researching for his novel In Cold Blood, Capote forms a relationship with one of the killers, Perry Smith, who is on death row.

The last Hangman - Adrian Shergold (2005) The last Hangman – Adrian Shergold (2005)
The life and times of Albert Pierrepoint – Britain’s most prolific hangman.

Official non-profit organization in support of Hank Skinner