Herman’s House premieres July 8, 2013 at 10 PM on PBS stations. (Check local listings.) The film will be available for streaming on the POV website from July 8, 2013 to August 6, 2013.
Herman Wallace may be the longest-serving prisoner in solitary confinement in the United States—he’s spent more than 40 years in a 6-by-9-foot cell in Louisiana. Imprisoned in 1967 for a robbery he admits, he was subsequently sentenced to life for a killing he vehemently denies. Herman’s House is a moving account of the remarkable expression his struggle found in an unusual project proposed by artist Jackie Sumell. Imagining Wallace’s “dream home” began as a game and became an interrogation of justice and punishment in America. The film takes us inside the duo’s unlikely 12-year friendship, revealing the transformative power of art. A co-presentation with the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM).
After the national broadcast premiere, visit the Herman’s House companion site. Learn facts and analysis about solitary confinement in America, watch prison architects explain their craft and challenges, read experts’ take on the film, and understand more about Herman’s cell. Join the conversation about the film with other POV viewers, get an update on the subjects, download a discussion guide and view a lesson plan for educators.
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