Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert Sponsors Innovative Legal Film Series at Honolulu Museum of Art

Aug. 7, 2012 - PRLog -- Law Firm Sponsors Innovative Legal Film Series at Honolulu Museum of Art
Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert lawyers lead post-film discussions

HONOLULU-Vexing legal issues dealing with murder, race and ethics are among the featured themes in the Honolulu Museum of Art film series The First Thing We Do, Let's Film All The Lawyers. Sponsored by the Honolulu law firm of Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert, the series screens September 1 to 6, 2012, at the museum's Doris Duke Theatre.

The film series examines the role of lawyers in dealing with some of society's most pressing questions: when has a convicted murderer paid her debt to society; when should someone's rights yield to another's notion of the greater good; when is a person who admits to the act not criminally responsible?

The films illustrate how lawyers-for better or worse-are the critical component in answering those questions. After each evening screening, an attorney from Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert will lead a discussion about the legal and ethical issues raised by the film.

There are two shows per day, one at 1 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m. To Kill a Mockingbird  screens three times on Sunday Sept. 2 at 1, 4 and 7:30pm.  The theater is closed Labor Day, Sept. 3.

Ticket prices for opening night are $15 for general and $12 for Honolulu Museum of Art members. The other four shows are $10 for general and $8 for members. Food and drink will be available for purchase on opening night. Tickets are available at the theater door on the day of screening, beginning one half-hour before each showing, or online at http://honolulumuseum.org/events/films in advance. For more information, visit http://www.lawinfilm.com.

Theater patrons may park in the lot behind the Honolulu Museum of Art School (entrances on the makai side of South Beretania Street and the mauka side of Young Street). For evening and weekend screenings. visitors may park at the museum's lot at 1035 Kinau St., Diamond Head of Victoria Street. Handicapped parking is available in the museum's small lot on Victoria Street.

THE SCHEDULE

Crime After Crime (Sept. 1)
Directed by Yoav Potash. USA, 2011, 95 mins.
This film asks the question: When has a woman imprisoned for more than 25 years for the murder of her abusive boyfriend paid her debt to society? Yoav Potash's gripping documentary chronicles the dramatic, inspirational battle that ensued when two land-use attorneys with no background in criminal law decided to take Deborah Peagler's case pro bono. What started out as a quick and easy matter develops into a years-long odyssey through California's criminal justice system. This film highlights how a lawyer-often any lawyer-is essential to obtaining justice. An Official Selection of the Sundance Film Festival, and the winner of the Audience Choice Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Presented by Diane Hastert.

To Kill a Mockingbird (Sept. 2)
Directed by Robert Mulligan. USA, 1962, 129 mins.
When lawyers recently were asked to name their role model, they didn't choose Jefferson, Lincoln, Darrow, or even Gandhi. They chose the fictional Atticus Finch. In this classic adaptation of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Gregory Peck stars as a lawyer in the Depression-era South who puts his career on the line to defend an African-American man accused of rape. Looking for new insights into this classic, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert's Mark Murakami asks: who are the Atticus Finches of today? Presented by Mark Murakami.

The Castle (Sept. 4)
Directed by Rob Sitch. Australia, 1997, 85 mins.
This shoestring-budget tale of a tow-truck driver's fight against eminent domain is the most popular comedy in Australian film history. Melbourne's Darryl Kerrigan becomes an unlikely hero when government officials demand that he surrender his family home to make way for an airport expansion project. Willing to stop at nothing to protect save his home, Darryl-with the aid of two lawyers-takes his case all the way to the Australian High Court. While often played for laughs and subtle jabs at the Australian psyche, The Castle presaged two real-life eminent domain battles, one in the U.S. Supreme Court, and the other in the Hawaii Supreme Court. Presented by Robert Thomas.

Counsellor at Law (Sept. 5)
Directed by William Wyler. USA, 1933, 82 mins.
A lawyer film with no courtroom scenes? John Barrymore stars in this forgotten classic as a highly successful attorney in private practice caught between a wife who derides his humble roots and a mother who reprimands him for ignoring his heritage. His internal conflicts emerge when a rival lawyer threatens expose a past legal wrongdoing. This film highlights the challenges of the office environment in a big-city practice. The directorial debut of Oscar-winning William Wyler (Best Years of Our Lives, Ben-Hur). Presented by Kenneth Kupchak.

Anatomy of a Murder (Sept. 6)
Directed by Otto Preminger. USA, 1959, 161 mins.
In one of cinema's greatest courtroom dramas, a humble small town lawyer defends a man accused of murdering a local bartender, hoping to win freedom for his client by using the defense of "irresistible impulse." This crime classic features a stellar performance from James Stewart and a musical score by Duke Ellington, and is consistently selected by lawyers as among the greatest legal films for its realism, and unflinching look at legal ethics and the dynamics of the criminal courtroom. Presented by Sat Freedman, a former Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert attorney who is now a Deputy Public Defender.

About Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
Founded in 1963, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert serves the Hawaii business community with the connections and capabilities of an international practice, holding the highest standards for business law and commercial litigation. The firm is part of the Meritas network of more than 170 independent law firms in at least 60 countries, and the only representative in Hawaii. With more than 20 attorneys, the firm's practice areas include: Appellate Law; Bankruptcy & Creditor Rights; Business & Commercial; Dispute Resolution, Energy; Immigration; Insurance; Intellectual Property; Land Use; Probate, Trusts & Estates; Rail; and Real Estate & Construction. Its office is located at 1003 Bishop Street on the 16th floor. For more information, visit www.hawaiilawyer.com.