Murder in Mesopotamia

A film by Andy Abrahams Wilson, Open Eye Pictures

"An eye for an eye.and a tooth for a tooth," originating in ancient Mespotamia, takes on modern-day meaning in a verdant village of the same name on the poor Caribbean island of St. Vincent, where the tiny village is nestled between two rivers. There, Decima John, a much-loved mother of three, had been raped and was about to testify in court against the rapist. The day before her appearance in court, she was brutally gunned down outside her home.

It was clear who the perpetrator was, yet he was allowed to go free for "lack of evidence." The villagers are afraid to accuse the murderer, for fear of meeting a similar end. One after another they complain that the police do nothing to protect witnesses. Some fantasize of taking justice into their own hands. Others would leave it to divine justice. The sad fact is, the "justice system" does not protect them and they live in fear.

Would the police have been more vigilant if the victim had not been poor? Or if it had been a man who was murdered? How far down the social scale does justice reach? The film implicitly asks these questions.

15 min. Video or DVD. Sale $99. Video rental $45.

Short Film Festival of India,2007
International Festival of Short Films on Culture, 2007
Moondance International Film Festival, 2006
Bahamas International Film Festival, 2005