Unlikely Friends

Documentaries about violent crimes often take the perspective of either the victim or the criminal, but Leslie Neale's film—narrated by actor Mike Farrell—splits the difference, examining tragic circumstances that brought people together, and looking at what happened next. In the first example, Wyoming sheriff Stephen Watt and robber Mark Farnham exchanged gunfire that left Stephen seriously injured. Stephen initially felt that Mark, who was a former military policeman, should have received the death penalty, but after five years, Stephen decided to reach out, hoping that forgiveness would help relieve his anger, and the pair eventually became friends. Also profiled are four parents who lost their sons in separate incidents and wound up contacting the men responsible for their deaths, forcing the perpetrators to come face-to-face with the painful consequences of their actions. Harriet Salarno, founder of Crime Victims United of California, doesn't judge the other survivors, although she says that she could never forgive her daughter's killer. A woman named Jane has faced criticism that she replaced her son with his murderer, while Rhada—who started by meeting with convicted murderers at San Quentin—found that the man who took her son's life has chosen not to take responsibility. As author Azim Khamisa notes, perpetrators can be victims, too: a 14-year-old killed Khamisa's son as part of a gang initiation, which eventually led to Khamisa working towards eradicating youth-on-youth violence. Also including a director's audio commentary, this thought-provoking documentary is recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)