An Eye for an Eye (2016 film)

An Eye for an Eye is a 2016 documentary film, directed by filmmaker Ilan Ziv. The film features are Mark Anthony Stroman, Rais Bhuiyan and Ilan Ziv. The film is a chronicle of Stroman's path from revenge killer to being forgiven by a victim as he waits on Texas's Death Row. The film opened on October 28, 2016 in the United States and Canada.

An Eye for an Eye
Directed byIlan Ziv
Produced byPaul Cadieux
Written byIlan Ziv
Paul Cadieux
Production
company
Filmoption International
Release date
  • October 28, 2016 (2016-10-28)
Running time
120 minutes
CountryUnited States
Canada
LanguageEnglish

Plot

In the weeks following the September 11 attacks, dozens of attacks against Muslims, Sikhs and other minorities were reported across America. Among the perpetrators was Mark Anthony Stroman, who began "hunting Arabs," as he described his nightly prowling. His target was on people whom he believed were Muslim who came from the Middle East. He killed two and partially blinded a young man—all immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. Luckily, he was arrested before he fell through with his plan to massacre dozens of Muslim worshipers at a local Dallas Mosque. On April 5, 2002, Stroman was convicted and sentenced to Death.

In the weeks before in impending execution, his only surviving victim became his biggest advocate – Rais Bhuiyan, a devout and recently half-blind Muslim. He began a campaign to spare Mark's life in the name of Islam and its notion of mercy, becoming one of the most vocal campaigners against Stroman's execution.

The Press at the time labeled this as the first post 9/11 hate crimes and even Stroman himself stated that "blinded by rage", he killed to avenge the United States of America.[1]

With in-depth interviews, the film follows Stroman's story through to his execution. Central to the film is the bond that developed between Stroman and the Israeli-born filmmaker Ilan Ziv.

Reviews

As of June 2020, the film has a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on seven reviews with an average rating of 6.5/10.[2] Film Journal International states, "An Eye for an Eye, tough to take as it is -- with nigh unbearable-to-listen-to audiotapes of the murder being committed -- turns out to be one of the most searinlgy honest and moving depictions of redemption and the power of forgiveness ever made.[3] The Hollywood Reporter says, "as our encounters with him continue, it becomes clearer that Stroman -- whose early life is nearly guaranteed problems ahead -- evolved dramatically behind bars, and that his remorse for his crimes is sincere".[4] The Los Angeles Times says, "the rehabilitative power of forgiveness [throughout the film] is thought-provokingly explored".[5] The Globe and Mail from Toronto says it was "a well-layered film" that makes "a fascinating case for forgiveness and a sharp rebuke of Bible-taught eye-for-an-eye revenge".[6]

References
  1. "Eye for an Eye". Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  2. "Eye for an Eye (2016)". Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  3. "Film Review: An Eye for an Eye:". Archived from the original on 2018-04-03. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  4. "'Eye for an Eye:' Film Review". Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  5. "Eye for an Eye: Critic Reviews". Retrieved 2018-03-26.
  6. "Eye for an Eye, filmmaker visited killer Mark Stroman on death row". Retrieved 2018-03-20.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.