WRITING AGAINST DEATH

56 min., Digital Beta, 16:9, stereo
Language: German/English
subtitles: English

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Solothurn Filmfestival 2003
International Filmfestival Locarno 2003
Hof International Filmfestival 2003

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A film that sheds light on the subject of the death penalty from a very particular perspective.
It portrays a Swiss woman working hard to make a very expending and personal contribution towards the abolition of death penalty by building up a close and long lasting relationship with her pen pal on Death Row of a prison in Texas, USA. She does this by writing to him and visiting him, thus introducing a shred of humanity into a system that is so inhumane.
Blended into this portrait are the shocking statements made by the inmate himself, after ten years living under the severest conditions.

After 18 years on death row, Steven Moody was executed on September 16, 2009. - Only a week before, on 9.9.09, he granted Rolf Lyssy his last interview.
 

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Quotations from the Film
«Can you ever imagine what it is like, to live each day identical to the one just spent? If I didnt have you in my life, this place would have already turned my heart to stone.»
Steven Moody, from a letter to Ursula Corbin Ramsbrock

«At the beginning I had a bad conscious writing about how well I am and he said, no, at the contrary, you are my ears and my eyes.»
Ursula Corbin Ramsbrock

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Rolf Lyssy
Born 1936 in Zurich. Photograph. Filmography (selection):
1974 Konfrontation
1978 Die Schweizermacher/The Swissmakers (fiction)
1981 Kassettenliebe (feature film)
1983 Teddy Bär (feature film)
1989 Leo Sonnyboy (feature film)
1992 Ein Trommler in der Wüste (documentary)
1999 Leo Sternbach (video portrait)
2002 Schreiben gegen den Tod/Writing against Death (documentary)
2004 Wäg vo de Gass (documentary)
2006 Die Vitus-Macher (making of 'Vitus' by Fredi M. Murer)

Dominique Rub
Born in Alexandria, Egypt. Studies at the University of Zürich (New History, Politology, Anglistics) 1985-1993 Editor at Swiss Television DRS (News), 1993-1998 Chief Information Officer and personal collaborator of the Director of Department at the Federal Department of Home Affairs, freelance publicist and co-funder of Rüffer&Rub publishers, Zürich.

Team
Script: Dominique Rub
Director: Rolf Lyssy
Production: Rose-Marie Schneider
Cinematography: Elia Lyssy
Sound: Sandra Blumati
Music : Roland Van Straaten, Curtis Lee Ervin
Editing: Rainer M. Trinkler
Mix: Jürg von Allmen

With
Ursula Corbin Ramsbrock
Jürgen Ramsbrock
Andrew Corbin
Marlène Ramsbrock
Steven Moody
Doris Smith
James Rytting
Rosie Leupp

Supported by
Bundesamt für Kultur (EDI), Schweiz
Teleproduktions-Fonds GmbH
Evangelisch-Reformierte Landeskirche des Kantons Zürich

Co-produced by
Swiss Television DRS
SRG SSR ID�o/ooE SUISSE
ARTE

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Festivals:
Solothurn Filmfestival 2003
International Filmfestival Locarno 2003
Hof International Filmfestival 2003

Broadcast:
Swiss Television DRS
SRG SSR ID�o/ooE SUISSE
ARTE
3sat

Cinema:
Switzerland

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World rights
Doc Productions GmbH

ISAN 0000-0000-D9DB-0000-Q