TIFF 2012: ‘West of Memphis’ documentary boasts A-list support

The 1993 West Memphis Three child murders rightfully shocked a nation. But it was the ensuing court case in which three teenagers — Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley — were tried for the grisly murders that truly rocked the world. The sensational story is documented in the new film "West of Memphis," a doc produced by filmmaker Peter Jackson ("The Lord of the Rings"). Having premiered at Sundance earlier this year, the movie will screen at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 8.

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The story of the West Memphis Three case has already been heavily scrutinized, having been the subject of three documentaries: the "Paradise Lost" trilogy directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky. The docs helped to expose the many flaws in the case against the trio of teenagers, and brought worldwide attention to what many saw as wrongful convictions. A botched police investigation, coerced confessions, and allegations of Satanic rituals resulted in criminal trials with outcomes that had been decided before they even began. The three accused men had little chance of getting a fair shake, and were quickly convicted of the murders and sentenced to life imprisonment - or, in Echols' case, sentenced to death by lethal injection.

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The "Paradise Lost" films also won Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley the support of Hollywood. Notable stars like Johnny Depp and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder became champions of the men's innocence, A-list support that would eventually help get the three convicted men released after some 18 years in prison. But of their celebrity supporters, it was Peter Jackson and partner Fran Walsh who seem to have made the biggest impact: The couple paid for a serious private investigation of the case to be conducted, which uncovered new DNA evidence that had the case re-opened. Jackson and Walsh also contributed to the trio's defense fund which eventually helped the three walk free in 2011 plea deal.

"West of Memphis" is nominally the story of Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley's conviction, imprisonment, and release, featuring interviews with those involved in the case, as well as with supporters like Depp, Vedder, Jackson, and the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines. But with the trio's release the documentary is left with the question of just who, exactly, killed the three young Arkansas boys. In an attempt to answer this, the film focuses on key suspect Terry Hobbs -- the stepfather of victim Stevie Branch -- who was subsequently linked to the crime scene through the newly uncovered evidence. It's an incredible and sad story, and one that still doesn't have a lot of answers.

Watch the trailer for "West of Memphis" below.

"West of Memphis" will play at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 8.