Letters From Death Row tells the story of an inmate of a Chinese prison who has been chosen to record the last wills of prisoners in the Death Row, just before their execution. Inspired by true events, the stories of the inmates make us wonder about second opportunities and human condition.
“We didn't want to make a political statement of intent. This is a very sensitive issue and our only aim was to make a portrait of human condition in Chinese death rows”. Nonetheless -explains the director-“this isn't a problem of China, but a universal problem. China doesn't want to abolish death penalty and many are executed every year; but China is not more strict than other countries”
Feng Ke's interest lies more in the personal stories, in the human level of the characters that inspire empathy because their past is unknown. The main character falls in love with a sweet female inmate with whom he records broadcasting messages (to the prison population at large). She will not scape her death sentence.
“When we found the prison where we wanted to film the story and we drew the curtains open to let the light come into the room -says the director-inmates, specially women, looked as if they had just come from the street, they looked like every average shop assistant. We couldn't help but wonder, what made them end up in prison”.
The film, financed by American investors, “has a Chinese social and cultural heritage, what makes it a co-production”, says the director. The team filmed the story without official permission from the Chinese Government.. “It's a very sensitive subject, so throughout the filming process we were afraid of the possibility that the whole project could be stopped. We thought about filming in a stage but finally decide to take the risk”.
Letters From Death Row tells the story of an inmate of a Chinese prison who has been chosen to record the last wills of prisoners in the Death Row, just before their execution. Inspired by true events, the stories of the inmates make us wonder about second opportunities and human condition.
“We didn't want to make a political statement of intent. This is a very sensitive issue and our only aim was to make a portrait of human condition in Chinese death rows”. Nonetheless -explains the director-“this isn't a problem of China, but a universal problem. China doesn't want to abolish death penalty and many are executed every year; but China is not more strict than other countries”
Feng Ke's interest lies more in the personal stories, in the human level of the characters that inspire empathy because their past is unknown. The main character falls in love with a sweet female inmate with whom he records broadcasting messages (to the prison population at large). She will not scape her death sentence.
“When we found the prison where we wanted to film the story and we drew the curtains open to let the light come into the room -says the director-inmates, specially women, looked as if they had just come from the street, they looked like every average shop assistant. We couldn't help but wonder,
what made them end up in prison”.
The film, financed by American investors, “has a Chinese social and cultural heritage, what makes it a co-production”, says the director. The team filmed the story without official permission from the Chinese Government.. “It's a very sensitive subject, so throughout the filming process we were afraid of the possibility that the whole project could be stopped. We thought about filming in a stage but finally decide to take the risk”.