The Public Square at the IHC presents a screening of Kartemquin Films’ newest documentary featuring a Chicago-exclusive discussion with Rev. Carroll Pickett.
CHICAGO –– Join The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council and its partners for a screening of Kartemquin Films’ latest documentary, At the Death House Door, on Wednesday, May 28 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Thorne Auditorium, Northwestern University School of Law (375 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago). This new film examines the death penalty in Texas through the eyes of death row chaplain Rev. Carroll Pickett.
After the film, Pickett will join Chicago Tribune reporter Steve Mills, filmmakers Steve James and Peter Gilbert, Edwin Yohnka of the ACLU of Illinois, and Rob Warden, director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law in discussion. This is the only Chicago-area screening that will feature Rev. Pickett.
This program is free and open to the public. Reservations are required and can be made by e-mailingevents@prairie.org or by calling 312.422.5580. Kartemquin Films, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Illinois, and the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law are the co-sponsors of this event.
MORE ABOUT AT THE DEATH HOUSE DOOR
At the Death House Door tells the story of Rev. Carroll Pickett, who served 15 years as the death house chaplain to the infamous "Walls" prison unit in Huntsville, Texas and presided over 95 executions, including the world’s first lethal injection. The film focuses on how Pickett was affected by Carlos De Luna, one of the inmates he counseled and who is now widely-regarded as wrongfully convicted—based on evidence uncovered by Chicago Tribune reporters Steve Mills and Maurice Possley. It is a film about the failures of the criminal justice system; about one man’s spiritual and moral journey; and how this very final act of punishment does not bring closure. The film was co-directed and co-produced by Peter Gilbert and Steve James. It runs approximately 94 minutes.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS
Rev. Carroll Pickett is a former death row chaplain. In that capacity, he ministered to 95 men before they were put to death by lethal injection. Rev. Pickett is the author of the acclaimed memoir, Within These Walls, an eloquent, unflinching look at his unique career and his intensely personal exposure to capital punishment.
Peter Gilbert is one of the filmmakers who made Hoop Dreams. He has also worked on With All Deliberate Speed (2004), The Gods Tired of Us (2005), and the award-winning, Emmy-nominated Deadline (2004). Earlier work includes Kartemquin Films’ Vietnam: Long Time Coming (1998), Stevie (2003), and Married in America (2002).
Steve James is best known as the director, producer, and co-editor of Hoop Dreams (1994). James also served as an executive producer, a story director, and series editor of Kartemquin Films’ The New Americans. He also has directed and produced other award-winning films, including Stevie (2003) and Reel Paradise (2005). He also produced and edited The War Tapes (2006).
Steve Mills joined the Chicago Tribune as a reporter in 1994. For the past nine years, he has written about the death penalty, miscarriages of justice, and other issues in the criminal justice system. Series he has contributed to include "The Failure of the Death Penalty in Illinois," "State of Execution: The Death Penalty in Texas," "Executions in America," and "Shielded from the Truth."
Rob Warden (moderator), Executive Director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions, is an award-winning legal affairs journalist, former editor and publisher of Chicago Lawyer magazine, and former investigative reporter, foreign correspondent, and editor at the Chicago Daily News.
Edwin C. Yohnka is the Director of Communications and Public Policy for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.
ABOUT THE PUBLIC SQUARE AT THE IHC
The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council fosters debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social, and political issues with an emphasis on social justice. Programs promote participatory democracy by creating space for public conversations.
This program is part of The Public Square’s "Civic Cinema" series. An exhilarating series of films, forums, and conversations, "Civic Cinema"uses the most exceptionally creative and engaging documentary films of our times to help communities talk about pressing social issues. More information about The Public Square at the IHC is available at www.thepublicsquare.org.
The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.
D A R E T O K N O W
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