I’m really beginning to like the new kid on the block, or to be more specific a Beastie Boy. Adam Yauch’s Oscilloscope Pictures has been backing a nice mix of docu-fair, commencing this summer with Gunnin’ for that #1 Spot and following with Flow and the upcoming Frontrunners — they’ve even picked up a film of fiction in the Cannes’ Un Certain Regard Wendy and Lucy. Late yesterday, Oscilloscope announced the pick up of one of the most popular documentary films currently on the fest circuit. Kurt Kuenne’s Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son about His Father could very much be on the Oscar shortlist for Best Docs of the year, especially with the glowing reviews from showcases like Hot Docs, Slamdance and SXSW. The deal comes via an arrangement with MSNBC, the broadcaster has just entered the film business and were looking to strike a deal with a distributor for theatrical release. The doc hits Manhattan on the 31st of October.
Ultimately, the fascination surrounding the documentary has a lot to do with how it came about and the kind of direction it went in, and finally how Kuenne went about struturing the material. On the evening of Nov. 5, 2001, Dr. Andrew Bagby, 28, was murdered in a parking lot in western Pennsylvania. The prime suspect, his ex-girlfriend Dr. Shirley Turner, promptly fled the United States for St. John’s, Newfoundland — where she announced that she was pregnant with Andrew’s child. She named the little boy Zachary. Filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, Andrew’s childhood friend, originally began this film as a way for little Zachary to learn about his father. But when Shirley Turner was allowed to walk free on bail in Canada and given custody of Zachary while awaiting extradition to the United States, the film’s focus shifted to Zachary’s grandparents, David & Kathleen Bagby, and their desperate efforts to win custody of the boy.
I’ve yet to see the doc, but I’m sold on the three minute trailer (see below).
