P.O.V.: Murder & Media, Politics & Prisions

The Legacy traces the extraordinary sequence of events, from murders to manhunts to win-at-all-cost political campaigns, which lead to the enactment of California´s 'Three Strikes and You´re Out' initiative, the nation´s toughest and most controversial sentencing law. Filmmaker Michael Moore reveals the turbulent relationship of two grief-stricken fathers whose daughters´ senseless murders sparked a political firestorm and media frenzy that would change the face of criminal justice in America. Offering a chilling commentary on life in an age of sound-bite democracy, the film unravels the controversy behind laws of this kind and examines how the two men most responsible for 'Three Strikes' went from being fervent allies to bitter rivals. How is legislation enacted at the state level? How is public policy in the United States shaped at the grass roots and in the media? Moore takes dry and difficult subjects and weaves them into a compelling narrative framework by focusing on character development and a strong dramatic arc.