Hot Docs 2008

For 15 years, Pastor Carroll Pickett believes he is doing God's work as the death-house chaplain at an infamous Texas state penitentiary. But extraordinary circumstances and a complete stranger cause him to question his beliefs and the U.S. justice system. After each of the 95 executions he presides over, Pickett records an audiotape account of his final day spent with the inmate. One tape changes everything. Carlos De Luna is convicted of a savage murder, but Pickett instinctively knows he is ministering to an innocent man. Joined by Chicago Tribune crime reporters, Pickett revisits De Luna's case and his ensuing crisis of faith. Part investigation, part confessional, award-winning filmmakers Peter Gilbert and Steve James present a thoroughly engaging, deeply personal look at the death penalty and the lives of all those it condemns.
-Myrocia Watamaniuk