Last Saturday night was the greatest night of my life. That morning, I got up early and went to Amsterdam. That’s a pretty typical road trip for a young guy in Europe, but my destination was the International Documentary Film Festival. They were showing Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory. Jason and Joe Berlinger attended the screening.
I’m still not sure if I can articulate how amazing it was. Even now, I feel a rush just thinking about it. I’ll try to convey just how special it was to me.
The film itself was fantastic. As with the entire trilogy, it is both a terrifying display of our tragically broken justice system and a moving document of the lives of both the wrongfully imprisoned men and the families affected by the murders. Watching the footage taken over the last 18 years, I saw tragedy, fear, hope, love, hate, evil, heroism, friendship, and injustice all cumulate into a profoundly bittersweet ending. Of course, even after the movie ends, the case for exoneration continues, and the lives of those wounded by the murders still do not get any true resolution.
This was my first time seeing a Paradise Lost film with n audience, and the surge of emotions being felt by the entire crowd was truly powerful. Once the film ended, Jason and Joe appeared for a 30-minute Q + A session. We all erupted with applause when they came out, and I doubt I was the only one moved to tears. Jason told us that Joe was a hero (despite Joe’s humble claims that he was “just a filmmaker”) and that he loved him. As they hugged, I could only think of how truly heroic they both were, as well as Damien, Jessie, you, and everyone who worked so hard and sacrificed so much for their sake.
After the film, I had the honor of meeting Jason, Joe, Holly, and the Berlingers. Seeing Jason so full of joy for life and so optimistic about his future even after an unimaginable struggle is an experience that I will cherish forever. I truly believe that his outlook, as well as his freedom, can be attributed to the work that you and everyone else did so tirelessly. You truly are a hero!
—Michael Sevigny
Ramstein, Germany
