THE TRIALS OF DARRYL HUNT

SATURDAY 7 OCTOBER 7:30PM

Country USA Running Time 113 mins Directors Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg Producers Katie Brown, Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg DoP William Rexer Featuring Darryl Hunt, Mark Rabil, Larry Little Email info@thetrialsofdarrylhunt.com Website www.breakthrufilms.org

When twenty-one-year-old Darryl Hunt was put on trial for murder in the town of Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1984, the odds were stacked against him. He was a black man accused of the brutal rape and killing of a white woman in a state notorious for its institutionalised racism. He was given a rookie defence team, the prosecution witnesses included a member of the Ku Klux Klan and the jury consisted entirely of white faces. In spite of the evidence against him being dubious, at best, the colour of his skin sealed his fate. Little wonder that Hunt was sentenced to life imprisonment. 

From the beginning, there were doubts concerning Hunt’s guilt and uproar in the black community at what seemed a blatant case of injustice and police corruption. A defence fund was created that was to finance a twenty-year battle to prove Hunt’s innocence. More than ten years of this fight were recorded by film makers Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg, resulting in this brilliant, award-winning documentary.                    

The film follows Hunt and his loyal supporters as they face state prejudice and frustrating legal obstacles in their attempt to clear Hunt’s name. There are appeals, a retrial and revelatory new evidence including DNA testing which was to prove crucial to the case. This is a disturbing film, sometimes shocking, but never sensationalist, and always gripping.   AD

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