In The Land of the Free
Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox and Robert King spent almost a century between them in solitary confinement in Angola, the Louisiana State penitentiary. They are known as the Angola 3.
Herman and Albert are still in solitary confinement after thirty seven years. How could this be? In America. Today.
In the Land of the Free... is a documentary feature that examines the story of these extraordinary men who appear to have been targeted by the prison authorities for being members of the Black Panther party because they fought against the terrible conditions and systematic sexual slavery that was rife in the prison. Herman and Albert were subsequently convicted for the murder of a prison guard, Brent Miller.
There was no physical evidence against them. The main eye witness was bribed with a carton of cigarettes every week and promised his freedom by the warden in exchange for testifying. Another eye witness was a legally blind, mentally retarded sociopath.
A bloody fingerprint from the scene was shown not to belong to Herman or Albert and yet never tested against the rest of the prison population.
Even Brent Miller’s widow doubts that this is a sound conviction.
One man understands their plight more than any other. Robert King too was thrown into solitary at Angola and told it was because he was under investigation for involvement in the Miller murder... even though he wasn’t even in the prison when it happened.
The prison authorities used this as their reason for keeping him in solitary confinement for 31 years.
He was subsequently accused of the murder of another prisoner in Angola, again convicted by an all white jury on the evidence of unreliable witnesses who all subsequently recanted, before his conviction was overturned in 2001.
It had taken 29 years for him to gain his freedom. Since then he has worked tirelessly all over the world to help bring justice for his friends.
After 37 years for Herman and Albert in the oblivion of solitary confinement, this year has finally seen dramatic developments in the story of the Angola 3.
Made aware of their plight, Congressman John Conyers, the Chairman of the House Judiciary committee visited Herman and Albert in Angola in March 2008.
Whatever he said to the prison authorities, within days, and just one week short of 36 years, Woodfox and Wallace were finally released from solitary confinement into a high security dormitory.
The congressman is considering whether their treatment constitutes a cruel and unusual punishment in direct violation of the 8th amendment of the US constitution.
And then in September 2008, a judge in the Federal court overturned Albert’s conviction ordering him to be released or re-tried.
The Louisiana Attorney General is appealing this ruling... In March 2009 initial arguments were heard in this last ditch attempt to keep Albert from freedom. The judges considering this could pronounce their judgement at any point.
If they order a retrial, for the first time all the evidence in Albert’s case will be heard.
Meanwhile, a short time after the overturning of Albert’s conviction, the Angola prison authorities, without warning or reason, put Wallace and Woodfox back into solitary where they still remain.
The film is directed by Vadim Jean (Leon the Pig Farmer, Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather) produced by the Mob film company (Terry Pratchett’s Colour of Magic, Stone of Destiny) Gold Circle Films (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, White Noise, A Haunting in Connecticut) and UKTV’s Yesterday films.
Narrated by Samuel L Jackson this documentary tells the ongoing story of the case of the Angola 3.
In The Land of the Free is released 26th March