Ken Klonsky

Outing the Law: a Website on Injustice

Film: David and Me

A documentary on David McCallum’s wrongful conviction will be premiered at Toronto’s Hot Docs Festival and will no doubt be played in at least one and maybe two New York Festivals.  Actually, the film is only secondarily about the wrongful conviction and primarily about the relationship between McCallum and his young friend on the outside, Ray Klonsky. Filmmakers Ray Klonsky and Marc Lamy draw a stunning and sympathetic portrait of McCallum, as a thoughtful, genuine and emotionally honest human being. The late Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter plays a significant role in the film and, as McCallum’s representative, has played a large role in attempting to free this man imprisoned for more than twenty-eight years.

McCallum, at Ray’s father’s request, served initially as a mentor to the young man who was getting into trouble in the community. His experience as an incarcerated man opened Ray’s eyes to the almost endless opportunities that he had in his own life and was in the process of throwing away. As the friendship grew, Ray became involved in helping to free his new found friend from prison.

The film also portrays the McCallum family, at least that portion of it who remain at  home, i.e. his 77 year old mother, his sister, Mattie, Mattie’s two children (David’s niece and nephew, and, amazingly, his 52 year old sister, Ella. Ella is severely disabled, having extreme cerebral palsy and having been born without a spine. The family was told that, at the outside, she would live to thirteen years of age. Mrs. McCallum has had to endure so much and yet remains steadfast in her beliefs.

David and Me is multi-layered. The theme of the film is the power of relationships of all sorts, how one person can have a profound effect on the life of another, how the goodness of people can transcend the evil that befalls them. McCallum comes off as a thoughtful and deeply emotional man whose fate still hangs in the balance of a very flawed justice system.

Premiered at Hot Docs (Toronto) on Sunday April 27th. Played to four capacity houses and was voted 11th out of 197 in the audience choice award. On TVO, June 4th; American premiere at the Manhattan Film Festival (the Quad) on June 20th at 7 p.m.

6 thoughts on “Film: David and Me

  1. Hello Ken,

    I found your website while looking for more information on David McCallum. My husband and I watched ‘David & Me’ on TVO a few nights ago and have been thinking of David ever since. The film was fascinating and certainly presented a compelling argument for David’s innocence. Would you be able to share any insight on if/when the new DA will be reviewing the conviction? Is there a petition we could sign?

    Thank you,
    MM

    1. Dear MM,
      I was extremely confident in the case and encouraged by the response to the film (still am). We have had reassurance after reassurance that the case will be or is being examined, that we will be heard over the parole issue and so forth. But when we try to make an appointment with the designee, we get nothing but another reassurance. So, if you want to help, I’d ask you to simply call the Brooklyn DA’s office, ask to speak to someone from the Conviction Review Unit (they likely won’t let you) and say that you saw the film and ask what is being done about the case. You won’t get an answer (if you do, please get back), but your very call will tell them that the issue remains alive in the public. That is the key.
      So I thank you for your kindness and your willingness to help.
      Ken

      1. Thank you for your reply and of course, your direction. I will do this and on the off-chance I am given any information, I will of course pass it on to you.

        Thanks again and best wishes as you keep up the fight,
        MM

  2. I just watched your film about David McCallum. I was touched and inspired by his fight and his words. Is there an address I could send him a letter. I understand not giving his home address but is there a p.o. Box or something like it I could write him?

  3. I am trying to contact Ray and I would like to know if I can get your help.
    Twelve years ago, in small town Iowa, a man was wrongfully convicted of murder. The Sumner PD did everything they could to ensure that he was locked up because of his past mistakes. Today, he his still incarcerated, while a murderer is still on the loose. This man is my cousin Lawrence H. Hamby. Right now we have a defense team working with us as well as the Innocence Project to release him. However, this is his absolute last chance through a PCR to get him out! We need all the help we can get to spread the news to ensure that an innocent man can be free as well as showing the horrors of how this can happen to anyone. Wrongful convictions are very common in America and we NEED for this to stop.

    Right now we have partial DNA evidence from fingernails that could exonerate him but we need a judge to sign off on retesting the DNA and reopening the case. There is a man who committed this crime who is still out there named Nate McKinney. Nate is the step-son of the man murdered and you may wonder why he would kill his so-called father. I am wondering that as well. But we have witnesses swearing that they heard him threaten his father and he also drove to a hospital to steal syringes to cover up the murder as a overdose. Nate also is the main witness who lied to get Lawrence convicted.

    This isn’t the first tragedy the Hamby family has dealt with. Lawrence’s brother was murdered at age 17 in Sumner as well, yet that murderer only had to serve one year. His brother was only trying to stop another child from getting bullied when he was stabbed to death. This is basically the family’s last hope at peace.

    There is so much to share and such little time. I would love to be able to discuss this case with you further as I hope you would be interested in making a film or at least pointing me in the direction of someone who can help spread the word.
    Thank you for even taking the time to read this tragic part of my family’s lives and I look forward to speaking with you soon.

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