Free in Deed
| Free in Deed | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Jake Mahaffy |
| Written by | Jake Mahaffy |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Ava Berkofsky |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Tim Oxton |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Gravitas Ventures (United States) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 98 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $230,000[1] |
Free in Deed is a 2015 drama film written, directed, and co-edited by Jake Mahaffy. An international co-production between the United States and New Zealand, it stars David Harewood, Edwina Findley, and RaJay Chandler. It is based on true events, and tells the story of a lonely Pentecostal minister who attempts to perform a miracle when a young woman asks him to heal her son from a seemingly incurable illness.
The film had its world premiere at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival on September 11, 2015, where it won the Orizzonti Award for Best Film. It was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on September 8, 2017, by Gravitas Ventures. It received positive reviews from critics, and was nominated for Best Male Lead (for Harewood), Best Supporting Female (for Findley), Best Cinematography (for Berkofsky), and the John Cassavetes Award at the 32nd Independent Spirit Awards.
Synopsis[edit]
In the distinctive world of storefront churches, Pentecostal minister Abe Wilkins tries to perform a miracle. When Melva Neddy, a single mother on the brink of profound desperation, brings her tormented young son to church for healing, Wilkins is not only forced to confront the seemingly incurable illness of the child, but his own inescapable demons as well. And the more he prays, the more things seem to spiral out of his control.
Cast[edit]
- David Harewood as Abe Wilkins
- Edwina Findley as Melva Neddy
- RaJay Chandler as Benny
- Preston Shannon as Bishop
- Prophetess Libra as Mother
- Helen Bowman as Isabelle
- Zoe Lewis as Etta
- Kathy Smith as Pearlie
- Billie Worley as Senior Detective
- Darius Wallace as Health Inspector
- Jon W. Sparks as Doctor
- Alex Coker as Officer Buff
Production[edit]
Free in Deed is based on the real-life story of Milwaukee minister Ray Hemphill, who was convicted of child abuse for his attempt to perform an exorcism on an eight-year-old boy in 2003.[1][2][3][4] Jake Mahaffy said about adapting the story into the film:
I had been raised religious and then deconverted, so I felt I have both the familiarity and objectivity to represent this situation. The point is not to make a reenactment or docudrama but to take the emotional truth of the circumstance and recreate that for audiences. People who have never been to church or never been poor or never been to America should feel what it would be like rather than only know the facts and details of the news story.[5]
Free in Deed was produced by Greyshack Films and Votiv Films, in association with the New Zealand Film Commission.[6] Principal photography took place in Memphis, Tennessee in February 2014.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Mahaffy, Jake (September 13, 2017). ""You Plan to Make a Film and Then You Try Not to Make the Film You Planned on Making": Jake Mahaffy on Free in Deed". Filmmaker Magazine (Interview). Interviewed by Scott Macaulay. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ Mahaffy, Jake (September 13, 2017). "The True Cost of Making Free in Deed". Talkhouse. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ Tham, Su Fang (September 6, 2017). "Don't-Miss Indies: What to Watch in September". Film Independent. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ Lodge, Guy (September 13, 2015). "Venice Film Review: 'Free in Deed'". Variety. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ Mahaffy, Jake (November 3, 2016). "Indie Memphis Thursday: Free In Deed". Memphis Flyer (Interview). Interviewed by Chris McCoy. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ "Free In Deed". New Zealand Film Commission. Archived from the original on February 2, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ Mahaffy, Jake (September 16, 2014). "Five Lessons from a Ten-Year Film School". Filmmaker Magazine. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
External links[edit]
- Free in Deed at IMDb
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