Stolen Lives
When: Friday, September 25 | 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Where: NYU Washington, DC (1307 L St NW, Washington, DC)
Tickets: Free, with registration
Program Overview:
7:00 PM – Film screening (105 minutes)
8:45 PM – Remarks and Q&A with Director Mark Mc Loughlin
Stolen Lives tells Sunny’s and Peter’s tragic and triumphant life stories from a deeply human perspective. Sunny spent 17 years on death row in the USA, and Peter was the last man sentenced to death in Ireland in 1980, serving 15 years in prison. They were both accused of murdering two policemen in separate incidences – Sunny on a highway in Florida during a routine search, and Peter at a bank robbery in the west of Ireland. Since meeting in 1998
We hear in Sunny’s and Peter’s own words how their lives – revealed in all their complexities and contradictions – unfolded to the point where they were each convicted of a capital crime they did not commit. In both cases, they fell victim to justice systems founded on questionable policy and procedure – systems that nearly claimed their lives but for their own personal convictions and drive, though not before the gruesome botched execution of Sunny’s former husband on the electric chair.
Alongside telling the dramatic story of Sunny and Peter’s fights – nearly to the death – with the flawed justice systems that stole their freedom, Stolen Lives is an exploration of the human psyche; of resilience in the face of despair; and of how extreme situations can push individuals beyond their insecurities and most unrelenting vices to achieve greater things than they ever thought possible.
Mark Mc Loughlin, an award-winning Irish documentary filmmaker with a diverse background in contemporary art and music. He is a qualified journalist and sound engineer, as well as an accomplished musician and artist. In recent years, he has focused on documentary production committed to creating distinctive documentaries and broadcast television programs that address complex and vibrant contemporary issues focusing on human rights.
Dara Jauch is an Irish producer and editor with extensive experience in documentary filmmaking. She holds a BA in Communication Studies from Dublin City University and a Higher Diploma in Broadcast Production from Kerry College. As a co-producer and editor at Bang Bang Teo she has contributed to documentaries focusing on human rights, art, culture, and music for broadcasters such as RTÉ, BBC, and TG4.
