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Public Impact of Public Media! The Darryl Hunt Story

Social documentaries are a great example of media designed for public knowledge and action. The Trials of Darryl Hunt--watch for it on HBO on April 26 and also in theaters this spring--is the latest example of the difference they can make.
Our friend David Magdael, who is publicizing the film, tells the story:
"Darryl Hunt was a 19 year-old black teenager in 1984 when he was wrongfully accused of murdering and raping a white woman in racially divided Winston -Salem, North Carolina. Even 10 years later, with DNA testing evidence that would have exonerated him, because of the racial tension in the town, he was put back in to serve an additional 10 years. It was not until 2004 when a newspaper reporter uncovered shoddy police work that Darryl was finally released."
The filmmakers, Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, followed this story for ten years. Indeed, they used footage over two decades that was part of the ongoing protest campaign to free Hunt.
On Feb. 20, Darryl Hunt received a $1.65 million settlement by the City and an apology. (Learn more at www.cityofws.org)
And the movie? Says Magdael: "Both Darryl and his defense attorney of 20 years Mark Rabil have stated that if it weren't for the film, Darryl would not be getting this settlement or apology."