Pan African Film Festival - The Gathering
Exonerated death row survivors become warriors against the death penalty.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Micki Dickoff
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I was approached by Magdaleno “Leno” Rose-Avila, Executive Director of Witness to Innocence, the largest organization of exonerated death row survivors in the US. Leno wanted to make a short film about the exonerees’ annual “gathering” where they share their powerful stories of struggle, survival and redemption. WTI and Leno are executive producers on the film. “The Gathering” was a labor of love for me. I donated my time to write, direct, produce, and edit the film because I know how powerful the voices of the exonerated are to the death penalty debate.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
People are not aware of the flaws in our justice system that send innocent men and women to death row, sometimes for decades, for crimes they did not commit. The 16 innocent death row survivors profiled in the film are heartbreaking, anger-provoking and unforgettable. We hope audiences who believe in the death penalty will rethink their views and understand the risk of executing an innocent person is too high.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I’ve made social justice films for 45 years about issues such as AIDS, racism and the justice system. Regardless of subject matter, my narrative and documentary films give voice to the voiceless. I passionately believe in the power of film to touch hearts and change minds.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
After researching the stories of the exonerees, I developed a script to reflect their stories of struggle, survival and redemption, balancing the personal with the political. With a very limited production and post production budget, I followed my script which did not change much in the course of development.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We’ve been on the festival circuit for a little over a year. At every film festival, there was at least one person who stood up during the Q&A telling me they came to the film in favor of the death penalty, but changed their mind after seeing the film. What more can a filmmaker ask for!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The immediate positive feedback from so many people surprised me and inspired me to keep doing the work.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible?
I hope WTI can use “The Gathering” to raise awareness about why the death penalty should be abolished in the United States and to help WTI raise money for their organization so they can continue to do their important work. The more visibility the film gets, the more they can achieve their goals.
Who do you need to come on board to amplify the film’s message?
We are actively looking for an educational distributor who will sell the film to colleges, universities, law schools, high schools and other educational venues. We plan to develop an educational workbook to accompany the educational DVD. Witness to Innocence wants to retain home video rights, public screening rights and streaming rights. We would love a press person to come on board to help us get publicity and reviews.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like your film to have?
By using the voices of the exonerated, we hope our film can be used as a tool to educate people about the flaws in the justice system that systematically send innocent men and women to death row and spark discussion about alternatives. We hope our film inspires people to speak out against the death penalty. Since 1976, the United States has executed 1,468 people and exonerated 161 to date. Those numbers will continue to rise and innocent people will be executed and already have been.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How can the United States justify executing its citizens knowing the many flaws in the justice system that send so many innocent people to death row? For every 9 executions, 1 death row inmate is exonerated!
Would you like to add anything else?
I got involved with the justice system and death penalty in 1990 when I learned my best childhood friend was sentenced to death with her husband for murders they did not commit. I spent 2 ½ years uncovering the evidence that helped overturn my friend’s conviction, leading to her release. However, her husband wasn’t so lucky. Based on the same evidence, the State of Florida had already executed him. I was able to make an ABC TV movie called “In the Blink of an Eye,” a story of injustice and the power of friendship. The film was broadcast on ABC in 1996.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’ve been working on a film for 25 years over three generations of an African American family in Houston, Texas, trapped by poverty, injustice, drugs, violence and unfulfilled lives, trying to break the cycle. The film is called “The Legacy”. The story begins with a wrongful execution that affected the lives of this family for generations to come.
Interview: February 2018
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The Gathering
Exonerated death row survivors become warriors against the death penalty.
Length: 24 minutes
Director: Micki Dickoff
Producer: Micki Dickoff
Writer: Micki Dickoff
Editor: Micki Dickoff
About Micki Dickoff
Emmy award-winning filmmaker Micki Dickoff makes documentaries and dramas examining social justice themes. Her critically acclaimed films have been theatrically released, broadcast on television and honored at film festivals worldwide. Her documentaries include Neshoba: The Price of Freedom and Too Little, Too Late, and dramas Mother, Mother and In the Blink of an Eye.
Micki was selected for AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women and for the American Documentary Showcase, and was one of three finalists for the prestigious Humanitas Prize. Micki taught at Emerson College and is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the International Documentary Association.
Key cast: 16 exonerated death row survivors, 14 men and two women.
Looking for Educational Distribution and press for the film.
Website: https://www.witnesstoinnocence.org/the-gathering-film
Funders: Witness to Innocence and filmmaker out-of-pocket
Made in association with: My company, Pro Bono Productions and Witness to Innocence
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? The Los Angeles premiere of “The Gathering” was at the Pan African Film Festival on Friday, February 16th.