Hot Docs 2008

On November 5, 2001, Dr. Andrew Bagby was murdered in a parking lot in Pennsylvania. The prime suspect was his ex-girlfriend, Dr. Shirley Turner, who promptly left town and resettled in her hometown of St. John's. Brought up for extradition, Shirley announced that she was pregnant with Andrew's child. Determined to win custody of their grandchild and to see Shirley face murder charges, Andrew's parents David and Kathleen Bagby transplanted themselves to Newfoundland. The ensuing court case is infuriating. The relationship that the Bagbys are forced to forge with Shirley is uncannily similar to the dysfunctional bond she had with their deceased son, and you fear that history will repeat itself. Filmmaker Kurt Kuenne's loving tribute to a friend, son and father is an emotional roller-coaster. Part memorial, part scathing indictment of a malfunctioning judicial system, Dear Zachary is a love letter out of senseless tragedy.
-Angie Driscoll