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.
See this film because thgey can't
In the Land of the Free... is a documentary feature narrated by Samuel L Jackson 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 and because they fought against the terrible conditions and systematic sexual slavery that was rife in the prison.
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.
For history of the Angola 3 and the legal cases please visit the History / Facts / Latest Campaign News page on this website
Filmmaker Biogs
Vadim Jean (Director)
Before completing In the Land of the Free... in 2009 Vadim directed Off the Hook, a new comedy series for BBC3. These projects followed Hogfather, the first live-action adaptation of a Terry Pratchett Discworld novel for Sky TV and RHI which he both wrote and directed, starring Sir David Jason, Joss Ackland and Ian Richardson. The mini-series is the highest ever rating show on Sky One and won two BAFTA’s. Following the great success of Hogfather he wrote and directed Terry Pratchett’s Colour of Magic starring David Jason once more, Sean Astin and Tim Curry. As a feature film director, Vadim made his American directorial debut with Jiminy Glick in Lalawood for Gold Circle Films. The film was selected as the Closing Night Gala premiere at 2004’s Toronto film festival. Vadim has also directed Leon the Pig Farmer, Beyond Bedlam, Clockwork Mice, The Real Howard Spitz and One More Kiss alongside award-winning commercials and work as a producer on The Virgin of Liverpool and as an executive producer on Scenes of a Sexual Nature. Vadim’s next feature directing project will be a biopic of Scottish poet Robert Burns. This film is to star Gerard Butler (300, Phantom of the Opera, PS I love you) as Burns alongside Brian Cox and John Hannah.
Paul Brooks (Producer)
Paul Brooks left London University with a Humanities degree in English/ Philosophy/Psychology and Sociology and then went into real estate development before moving into film. With over 17 years producing and distributing films in both the U.K. and the U.S., Brooks founded Metrodome Group, a U.K.-based production company and distributor that he took public in the mid-90’s. As a distributor, Brooks’ films included the likes of Buffalo 66, Palookaville, Chasing Amy and Chopper. As a producer, Brooks’ credits include such films as Shadow of the Vampire and My Big Fat Greek Wedding, both of which received Oscar nominations (Best Supporting Actor and Best Screenplay, respectively), as well as the supernatural thriller White Noise, romantic comedy The Wedding Date, family comedy Because I Said So, fish-out-of-water romantic comedy New in Town, supernatural thriller The Haunting in Connecticut and the fact-based alien abduction thriller, The 4th Kind. He is currently President of Gold Circle Films.
Ian Sharples (Producer)
Ian Sharples is a producer and executive producer of films, TV drama and documentary. Most recently as producer on the Terry Pratchett drama series for Sky 1. He won a BAFTA in 2007 for his work on Hogfather, before going on to produce The Colour of Magic in 2007 and exec produce Going Postal which will air on Sky1 HD during May 2010. His feature film credits include Leon The Pig Farmer, One More Kiss, and The Virgin of Liverpool, and the Anita Roddick inspired In the Land of The Free.
David Charap (Editor)
David learnt his trade at the Czech Film Academy where he developed a love for engrossing stories be they drama or documentary. He cut the EMMY award winning doc A Trial in Prague about Stalinist show trials, and then won a Czech Lion for the feature Year of The Devil about spontaneous combustion in the music industry. Returning to England, he has cut a number of striking feature films including Last Resort, Kiss of Life and My Summer of Love, but remains committed to documentaries. He has fostered a successful partnership with Marc Isaacs making Calais, All White in Barking and Men of the City. Despairing of much that now passes for factual entertainment, he is delighted to have contributed to In The Land of the Free believing it to be a passionate call for justice at the heart of western civilization.
Mike Fox BSC (DoP)
Mike has been involved in film and television for all of his working life with two years in film labs, four in editing rooms (where, whilst working on Thames Television's epic, The World at War, he also had an eighteen month spell as a Film Researcher), a brief time as a Dubbing Editor and then worked as an Assistant Cameraman with a number of DoPs (Charles Stewart, Ivan Strasbourg, Ernest Vincze) who were working in documentary. Mike's own move in to full time cinematography was via the same path and to travel the World and explore the human condition at the behest of broadcasters was fortunate, although never less than challenging. Dinner at Noon, Portrait or Bust and The Abbey, all with Alan Bennett; The Blasphemer's Banquet, The Gaze of the Gorgon with the poet Tony Harrison; and Channel Four's series, The Heart of the Dragon were just some of the highlights of a career that eventually led to meeting and teaming up with director Vadim Jean on One More Kiss and then In the Land of the Free – a significant and memorable moment in life.
The Mob Film Company
Yesterday
Gold Circle Films