Movie & Talk with Rev. Fritz Hudson, Amy Miller, Mario Scalora, and Gerald L. Soucie Sunday, December 11, 2011 – 12:15 p.m. screening, 2pm talk
In his fascinating exploration of a triple homicide case in Conroe, Texas, master filmmaker Werner Herzog probes the human psyche to explore why people kill - and why a state kills. In intimate conversations with those involved, including 28-year-old death row inmate Michael Perry (scheduled to die within eight days of appearing on-screen), Herzog achieves what he describes as “a gaze into the abyss of the human soul.” Herzog’s inquiries also extend to the families of the victims and perpetrators as well as a state executioner and pastor who’ve been with death row prisoners as they’ve taken their final breaths. As he’s so often done before, Herzog’s investigation unveils layers of humanity, making an enlightening trip out of ominous territory. —©Official Site
The Movie Talk will be held in the Presentation Room of the Van Brunt Visitors' Center. Admission to the Movie Talk is free and open to the public. Admission for INTO THE ABYSS is at regular Ross prices. The Movie Talk series is sponsored by the Friends of the Ross.
Rev. Fritz Hudson is minister of the Unitarian Church of Lincoln. His Master of Divinity was earned at Harvard University. A member of Nebraska bar, he has provided pro bono legal assistance to Nebraska’s immigrant community. His Juris Doctor degree was earned at the University of North Carolina. A long-time member of the American Civil Liberties Union, he currently serves on the Board of Directors of the ACLU's Nebraska Chapter.
Amy Miller is a lifelong Nebraskan. She attended Grinnell College for her undergraduate degree and returned to UNL for law school. She has been legal director for the nonprofit advocacy organization ACLU Nebraska since 1999. She is responsible for overseeing the legal cases brought by ACLU as well as doing some legislative lobbying and public education. She has long been involved in the work of Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty as a volunteer, having just served 8 years as Board President.
Dr. Mario Scalora received his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska in 1989 and joined the faculty in 1997. His research interests address various types of targeted violence issues, including threats to public institutions and infrastructure, threat assessment, sexual offending, and workplace violence. Dr. Scalora is currently performing research in a variety of areas related to targeted violence and threat assessment. This research continues to involve collaboration with state and federal agencies dealing with threat management and counterterrorism issues. Dr. Scalora also collaborates with local, state, and federal law enforcement on threat assessment research assessing predictive risk factors concerning threatening and violent activity toward public officials and institutions. Concerning sexual offending, he and his colleagues are investigating a range of personality and other risk factors related to sexual recidivism. On a related note concerning targeted violence, his research team is also investigating various risk-related issues (e.g., the nature of mental illness, predictive value of precious threatening behavior) concerning multiple samples of workplace violence.
Gerald L. Soucie is an attorney with the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy. He graduated from UNL law school in December of 1979. He was first employed at the Lancaster County Public Defender’s Office and since 1996 at his present position. His practice is limited to trials and appeals involving 1st degree murder and other serious felony offenses. He has represented approximately 50 individuals charged with homicide, several of which involved a possible death penalty. Gerald recently received the George H. Turner Award from the Nebraska State Bar Association for his work in connection with the “Beatrice Six”.
