I hope no other filmmaker ever has an opportunity to make a film like this one. When you hear this devastating story you'll understand why. Kurt Kuenne is an independent filmmaker whose been making fictional films ever since he was a kid. His best friend Andrew Bagby acted in every one of his amateur productions. Then he got a call that changed everything. Andrew had been murdered by his ex-girlfriend, who turns out to be carrying Andrew's child and has now fled the U.S. for Canada. So Kuenne decided to travel the U.S. and England to capture the thoughts and memories of all the people Andrew touched so that his son, Zachary, would have an idea what his father was like.
This devastating film uses home video, news footage, photographs and interviews to combine elements of a personal doc with a memorial and a crime story. From the dozens and dozens of friends and family interviewed for this film, Andrew made a strong impression. As we discover, he was a lot like his amazing parents David and Kathleen. Of course in a memorial film as this one, people are going to make Andrew look like a saint, but there are details that back up the praise. He had been or would have been the best man at dozens of friends and family members weddings. His memorial service drew hundreds from various countries. He was portrayed as a good doctor who cared about his patients. As the saying goes, calculate the greatness of the man by the number of his friends. By that standard, Andrew was a great man.
As for Zachary, he was under the care of his mother, the woman accused of shooting his father dozens of times after driving miles and miles to do so. In Canada, her psychiatrist posted her bail and she was free. In an effort to protect their grandchild, David and Kathleen moved to Canada, where they were told the judicial system was slow. The film portrays the cold Nova Scotian courts as frozen. Because the film is so personal to Kuenne, his anger and emotion comes through in his voice over as he details the Kafkaesque nightmare the Bagbys had to deal with. At one point, they had to begin spending time with the woman that killed their son just so they could spend time with their grandson. It creates a whole new meaning for "justice is blind."
From a filmmaking standpoint, at times the film is childish, redundant or too frantic, but these problems are forgettable in light of Kuenne's passion and determination. This wasn't a film he wanted to make — it was one he needed to make to heal. In the process, he honored not only his friend, but also the parents who raised him. The Bagbys are an impressive couple. What they went through is unthinkable. Kuenne does not shy away from the pain, and as you get to know these people, you get as angry as they do. But through this pain and rage, David and Kathleen became activists for judicial reform in Canada, so that no other victims' families would have to experience what they did. When their son's murderer lashed out in anger after she felt she was wronged, she hurt thousands. When the Bagbys burst out in anger after they were actually wronged, they helped millions.
With television filled with forensic shows that detail the crimes of killers, this film works as a mirror image. Like CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS chronicled the behind-the-scenes legal woes of the accused, this film painstakingly details the process on the other side. It puts the victims first. Kuenne does the most remarkable job of memorializing Andrew, but he also memorializes all the victims of violent crimes and brings home the magnitude of the ripples when one life is taken so heinously. We can all list the names of infamous serial killers, but can you name one of their victims? This is one murder mystery where I'll remember the names of the victims before the killer. Kurt Kuenne is a damn amazing friend too.
This film is being distributed by MSNBC Films and will be playing periodically on the cable channel until its release on DVD on Feb. 24th.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
