Mario's Story at the Library of Congress

AFF 2006 film Mario's Story will screen as part of Legal Film Series at the Library of Congress on Jan. 31st. The film was part of AFF's documentary feature competition. Pictured below, from left: Filmmakers Susan Koch & Jeff Werner and Attorney Ian Graham at the festival.


(Media-Newswire.com) - Legal Film Series Commemorates Law Library’s 175th Anniversary
The award-winning documentary "Mario’s Story" ( 2006 ) will be shown at the Library of Congress at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31, in the Mary Pickford Theater, located on the third floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.

The event, which is sponsored jointly by the Law Library of Congress and Tufts University, is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and advance reservations are required ( contact Alisa Carrel at acar@loc.gov ).

The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring the film’s producer and co-director Susan Koch and criminal justice champion John Terzano. A reception in the foyer of the Pickford Theater will follow the discussion.

Based on true events, "Mario’s Story" follows the 1998 murder conviction of Mario Rocha, a young Latino from East Los Angeles who was sentenced to life in prison despite the lack of physical evidence connecting him to the crime. Filmmakers Susan Koch and Jeff Werner followed Mario for more than seven years and were given unprecedented access to film inside the Calipatria State Prison as well as the behind-the-scenes legal efforts. The film also depicts Mario’s development into a gifted writer, his struggle to prove his innocence and ongoing efforts to win his freedom.

Screened at numerous film festivals this past year, the documentary was a finalist in the Austin Film Festival and the Woodstock Film Festival and received the Audience Award for Best Feature Documentary Film at the Los Angeles Film Festival.


The Legal Film Series is a part of the Law Library’s 175th anniversary celebration in 2007. The series continues with the screening of the highly-acclaimed documentary "Sisters in Law" on April 4, and the Hollywood classic "12 Angry Men" on July 11.