Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary DVD Review

Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary (or, as it's titled on the screen, Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey With Mumia Abu-Jamal) is an excellent, intense, illuminating and ultimately hopeful documentary film about a black journalist who spent decades on death row (and is still in prison) for the murder of a police officer in Philadelphia.

The film allows itself time to set the scene, and it’s all completely engaging. It’s not only Mumia’s story that’s fascinating, but everything that led to his story. There is an early quote: “There is not perhaps anywhere to be found a city in which prejudice against color is more rampant than in Philadelphia.” That was said by Frederick Douglass in 1862. This documentary shows that not much changed between 1862 and 1982, when Mumia was convicted. Dave Zirin, a sports journalist, puts it this way, regarding the city: “It’s never embraced the greatest boxer, I would argue, to ever really hail from Philadelphia, and that would be Smokin’ Joe Frazier. And the fact that Rocky Balboa, a fictional white boxer, gets the statue, I think it says so much about the city of Philadelphia.” (And yes, there is a shot of a statue of Rocky.)

Philadelphia was a city of mostly poor people, both black and white. And so there was competition for jobs, and black people were seen as encroaching on the space of white people, leading to racial tension. Born in that city in April of 1954 was Wesley Cook (who would later take the name Mumia Abu-Jamal, partly because of the example set by Muhammad Ali). Mumia says, “We didn’t have a lot of things, but we didn’t think anybody had them.” Poverty was the norm. As a child, he stood out, as he would read to the other children on their porch.

He became politically active as a teenager when a police officer kicked him in the face. Mumia says that cop kicked him straight into The Black Panther Party. It was there, at the age of 15, that he began his career as a journalist, writing for the Black Panther paper. He soon began his radio career, working at Temple University radio.

The mainstream media were not covering the rampant police brutality in the city. But Mumia was, which very early on made him a person of interest to the police. He became quite popular on the radio, and in 1981 Philadelphia Magazine named him one of the 81 people to watch in the greater Philadelphia area.

It’s nearly an hour into the film before we get to the crime that sent him to death row. By then, we’re completely engaged, caught up in this man’s life. Mumia was sentenced to death for the homicide of Daniel Faulkner. The film then shifts to Mumia’s life in prison, and the re-emergence of his voice in journalism. The film’s one major weakness is that it doesn’t delve into the details of what happened on that night in December, 1981. Granted, it’s not really the film’s focus, but I am left wanting to know more.

This film features many interviews with journalists, professors, and activists, including people associated with the MOVE organization and The Black Panther Party. There are also interviews with Lydia Barashango (Mumia’s sister), Terry Bisson (Mumia’s biographer), Frances Goldin (Mumia’s literary agent), Alice Walker and Rubin “Hurricane” Carter.

There is some incredible old news footage, including footage of a George Wallace speech in which he exclaims, “Segregation forever.” Wow.  And the stuff about Frank Rizzo, the Philadelphia Police Commissioner, is stunning. There is an audio recording of him bragging that his police force “could invade Cuba and win.”

There is perhaps a bit too much of people praising Mumia toward the end of the film. (A little of that goes a long way.) But it’s understandable. You are left with the feeling that Mumia is a hope for journalism as a positive force. Because, honestly, very little of what’s shown in mainstream media is trustworthy, and absolutely nothing that comes from the government is.

Special Feature

The DVD includes the short film Manufacturing Guilt, which was also directed by Stephen Vittoria (the writer/director/editor of Long Distance Revolutionary). This film focuses on the actual crime, with lots of specific information, going point by point over everything that is known, including a journalist’s photos of the crime scene (those are amazing, by the way). Basically all of the questions I had after watching the feature are answered in the short. So be sure to watch both.

Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary was released on June 11, 2013 through First Run Features.