Last Day of Freedom

Thematic DoubleTake Curated by Sadie Tillery

“When they started bringing the death penalty back, I embraced it,” Bill Babbitt tells us. “It was okay for someone else’s family members. Then one day it came knocking on my door.” Bill’s younger brother Manny, a decorated Vietnam veteran, suffers from PTSD. When Bill finds evidence that ties Manny to a murder, he agonizes over what to do. Thinking that it not only is the right thing to do but might also be a way to get his brother help, Bill goes to the police. In the ensuing trial, Bill testifies for both the prosecution and the defense, haunted by his recollection of Manny’s last day of freedom. The filmmakers have beautifully animated Bill’s narrative in a variety of styles: simple line drawings for primary interview, watercolors for flashbacks, and photos of newspaper articles. Sound effects and a spare musical score by Fred Firth lend emotional depth.

Alan Teasley, 2015 Festival

Directors

Dee Hibbert-Jones, Nomi Talisman

Producers

Dee Hibbert-Jones, Nomi Talisman

Editors

Dee Hibbert-Jones, Nomi Talisman

Cinematographer

Nomi Talisman

Release Year

2015

Festival Year

2017

Country

United States

Run Time

32 minutes