Dead Man Walking

In the week that we commemorate the execution of Jesus Christ on a cross, join the Biola University Center for Christianity, Culture and the Arts as we watch and discuss Dead Man Walking, a film about justice, compassion and hope on death row. The acclaimed film follows the ministry of Sister Helen Prejean to convicted criminals who are awaiting execution. The real Helen Prejean will be at Biola University for the “Love No Matter What” event on Wednesday evening, March 23, speaking in person about what it looks like to love our enemies (see http://watch.biola.edu/love-no-matter-what).

About the film:

Dead Man Walking (1995) is an Academy Award-winning film based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean, which “changed the conversation about the death penalty in the United States.” Based on real events, the film stars Sean Penn (nominated for an Academy Award) as a death row inmate and Susan Sarandon as Sister Helen Prejean, a nun who corresponded with him and acted as his spiritual adviser. Sarandon’s stirring portrayal of Prejean won her the Academy Award for best actress in 1996.

About Helen Prejean:

Sister Helen Prejean is a Roman Catholic nun and one of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Medaille. She is the author of Dead Man Walking (1993), an account based on her work as a spiritual adviser to two convicted murderers on death row. The book is set at the Louisiana State Penitentiary and examines moral issues related to the death penalty. The experiences she describes in Dead Man Walking gave Prejean greater insight into the process involved in executions and the minds of convicted murderers. She became convinced that the death penalty was morally wrong and began speaking out against capital punishment. At the same time, she founded Survive, an organization devoted to providing counseling to the families of victims of violence.