The Lena Baker Story
| The Lena Baker Story | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster, photography by Guy R. Gane | |
| Directed by | Ralph Wilcox |
| Produced by |
Dennis Johnson Ralph Wilcox |
| Written by | Ralph Wilcox |
| Based on |
Hope & Redemption by Lela Bond Phillips |
| Starring |
Tichina Arnold Peter Coyote |
| Distributed by | American World Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Hope & Redemption: The Lena Baker Story is a 2008 film adaptation of the book by Lela Bond Phillips that chronicles the life and death of Lena Baker, an African-American woman in Georgia. It was written for the screen and directed by Ralph Wilcox.
As the opening night premiere film for the 2008 Atlanta Film Festival, it sold out. The film was also screened at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2008.[1]
Plot
The film chronicles the life of Lena Baker, a young maid and mother of three. Convicted in 1945 of murder by an all-white, male jury, she was the only woman in Georgia to be executed by the electric chair. She had claimed self-defense in the fatal shooting of her employer, Ernest Knight, an abusive drunk who had forced her into a sexual relationship.
Cast
- Tichina Arnold as Lena Baker
- Peter Coyote as Ernest Knight
- Michael Rooker as Randolph County Sheriff
- Beverly Todd as Lena's Mother
- Randy McDowell as Lyle Jacobs
- Tom Huff as Ken Thomas
- L. Warren Young as Milton
- Ron Clinton Smith
- Dwayne Boyd
- Santana Shelton as Nettie
- Kaya Camp as Young Lena Baker
- Kenny Cook as Barry Arthur
References
- ↑ Longino, Bob (April 11, 2008). "'Lena Baker' opens Atlanta fest, will soon hit Cannes Market". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on November 23, 2009. Retrieved November 23, 2009.
External links
- Official website
- The Lena Baker Story at the Internet Movie Database
- "Films Have Power to Be the Voice of Change", Moving Pictures Magazine