Chelsea Lupkin
The Sentence of Michael Thompson isn’t just a short documentary about a man and his conviction, but rather about a father being liberated and the people who made that happen. Too often are individuals, especially people of color, incarcerated in the United States for petty crimes and it’s films like these that make us remember to never give up on them… even 25 years later. With not a dry eye in the house, filmmakers Kyle Thrash and Haley Elizabeth Anderson co-directed one of the most moving shorts to come out of SXSW this year and as the conversation surrounding the ever ballooning population of non-violent prison sentencing continues, The Sentence of Michael Thompson is a reminder that films can change people’s lives and that advocacy is the first step toward justice.
Thrash and Anderson’s 25-minute documentary is an emotional rollercoaster that’s filled with both gut-wrenching and overwhelmingly happy moments. Gorgeously captured by cinematographer Logan Triplett (who also shot fellow S/W picks Buzzkill & Exit 12), the film is fittingly shot in a 4:3 ratio that feels akin to the 90’s, when Thompson’s sentence occurred. Through moments of prayer, frustrating phone calls, and reflections on a life that could have been, the co-directors humanize a man who too many people wrote off as just another prisoner. Michael Thompson, who is the longest serving non-violent offender in the history of Michigan, is not just a prisoner and it’s Thrash and Anderson’s hope that by telling his story, other unjustly incarcerated individuals may have a chance at freedom too.
Michael’s daughter, Rashawnda Littles, prays for help during the ordeal.
The Sentence of Michael Thompson is but a glimpse into the years-long fight it took to free Michael Thompson and starts when he is finally up for clemency. In January of 2020 Thrash was approached by the non-profit Last Prisoner Project about potentially helping to bring awareness to their cause. The filmmaker was struck by the fact that an estimated 40,000 non-violent prisoners are still incarcerated for cannabis related charges, despite it becoming legal in many states across the county. He and Anderson thought if they could put a face and a story to that statistic, it might do some good. Like any great documentary, time, research, dedication, and a willingness to get close to a subject helps craft a truly compelling film.
“He had a story to tell and he wanted a platform to share it”
“The first time I spoke to Michael I knew a connection was there”, Thrash explains as he recalls his first interactions with Thompson. “He was warm, had a sense of humor, and was very open. He had a story to tell and he wanted a platform to share it. Over the pandemic I got to know Michael intimately, having over 11 hours of phone calls (in 15 minute segments) about his life, his dreams, his goals, and how he missed fishing. I helped the non-profit launch a campaign that brought in over 150,000 letters being written to the Michigan Governor in support of Michael’s clemency. After 9 months of working with Michael he finally got a public hearing date. That is where our team began filming. We followed Rashawnda, Michaels daughter, through that week of the public hearing and up until January when Michael was finally released after 25 years.” Thrash, Anderson, and Triplett filmed over 2 weeks and recorded phone calls for a year to complete the project.
The gravity of Thompson’s extreme sentencing is clearly depicted in this documentary. The goal of this experience was to help Michael get out of prison, but the film has taken on a life of its own and has been used to spark conversation, advocacy, and policy change. Thompson has been able to travel around the country to film festivals, non-profit organisations, and elected official sponsored events to share the film and speak about granting more clemency to cannabis prisoners. He even started the Michael Thompson Clemency Project and is continuing to advocate for cannabis prisoners and share his experience. There is clearly a lot more work to be done to right wrongs and grant social equity to the communities most harmed by the war on drugs, but The Sentence of Michael Thompson is at least a start in the right direction.
The film won the Jury & Audience Award at Palm Springs ShortFest, a Special Mention + Audience Award at Hamptons International Film Festival, and of course, the Audience Award at SXSW where myself and the entirety of the theater gave Michael Thompason a standing ovation when he came out for the Q&A. The Sentence of Michael Thompson is notably with MSNBC Films, XTR, Documentary+, and Synonymous Pictures and was Executive Produced by Bryn Mooser, Just Lacob, Kathryn Everett, Lydia Kives, Rashida Jones, and Amanda Spain.