Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary

The film presents the soul of Mumia against the backdrop of the city of brotherly love (Philadelphia) during a time of bigotry and violence against people of color. It examines how Mumia evolves into a warrior for justice rather than seeking to retry the crime in the media. It is a fascinating snapshot into an era that we think of being in the distant past and it is shocking to realize how close it still is. This is the story of a man who refuses to allow adversity to silence his voice. And it is the story of others who bear witness to his message. The message is especially relevant today with the emergence of racism in the form of voter rights acts that seek to once again suppress the voice of minorities. It is an absorbing story.... you really should see it.

I grew up in the Philadelphia area, and both of my parents were born and raised in Philadelphia as well, so I was more than familiar with Mumia's story. That is - the one the media wants you to know.

I never really gave it much thought. As a child and teen, I just assumed, rather ignorantly, that what I was told was true. I also never understood why everyone was so interested in the case after so many years and a conviction had passed. But as I grew, I was able to educate myself more, and in doing so my opinions changed.

The best documentaries are the ones that draw emotions. If, afterwords, I don't feel angered or inspired or enlightened, then the doc and the filmmakers didn't do what they intended. There is nothing worse than a bad doc, but there is nothing better than a great one. Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu Jamal is a GREAT documentary. It made me angry, it made me sad, and it made me what to run out of the movie theater and DO something.

What I loved about the doc, besides it's ability to draw emotions from viewers, is that it told a story that we aren't familiar with. If you're familiar with Mumia, then you know all about the case, so 2 hours worth of "this-is-why-he's-innocent" really wouldn't have swayed you one way or the other. But Steve took a different, and I believe more powerful, route, to tell Mumia's story. He showed us the Mumia that our media and government want to silence, and by doing so, Steve has given Mumia an even more powerful voice.

I thought the documentary would be a dry, factual restating of the case. I was wrong. It pulsed with life, in the words of Mumia Abu Jamal, and in the many people who spoke from their hearts about the man, his case, and his effect on their lives. I learned more about the hidden history of this country. worth seeing and sharing. The fact that anyone, especially someone convicted on such flimsy and suspect evidence has been left in solitary is obscene. The way that Mr. Abu Jamal has not only retained his humanity, but is using his words to reach out and make a positive change in the world, is a lesson for us all. I was fortunate enough to also hear from the director of this powerful documentary, and his journey to gain access, and to bring this story to the world, also should be noted.

Visually striking, Long Distance Revolutionary looks at the man behind the bars and not the "criminal." The movie covers Mumia's journalism career from the time he began writing as a young Black Panther all the way to the present while subtly making the case that this person may, in fact, be innocent; a political prisoner held captive by people who don't like his message. Mumia is certainly not the first and, unfortunately, won't be the last to suffer that fate.

The interviews are fascinating -- Cornel West among some of the best (but rare is the occasion when he's not). West and the rest do a great job of illustrating that the mindset that lynched blacks in the 50s and 60s has not completely gone away.

Overall, a completely different and fresh look at Mumia Abu-Jamal. Well worth a viewing.

I have seen a lot of films about the case surrounding the arrest and incarceration of Mumia Abu Jamal, but this film was refreshingly different. This movie was not only artfully done, but it was a good in-depth film about the soul of Mumia. Understanding where he comes from and how his natural curiosity about the wider world formed his political consciousness and drove him to a career in journalism with the pitfalls confronting truth-tellers and non-conformists in that world is fascinating. Mumia is a very complex man but a man with deep love for the truth and for freedom for everyone. I would not only recommend this film to my friends but I want to see it again and again.