In 1959, a fourteen year-old boy was sentenced to be executed for the murder and rape of a young girl he had given a bicycle ride to. His name was Steven Truscott, and his case became one of the most famous arguments against the death penalty, mostly because of his age. Years later, he was released from prison, got married and had a family. Truscott had never been exonerated, despite the fact that evidence was circumstantial and the police had suppressed information that may have pointed the finger at other perpetrators.

This is the story of Steven’s wife, Marlene, played with steadfast determination by Kristin Booth, who spent decades trying to prove her husband’s innocence. Thwarted at every turn, even the original DNA evidence had been destroyed. Still she persevered against all odds, convinced that her husband was not only innocent, but that the government owed Steven an apology for railroading him for a crime he did not commit.

Too few Canadian films have focused on true heroic figures a la Erin Brockovich: the kinds of people who will not take “no” for an answer, and devote their lives to the pursuit of justice. Marlene Truscott is such a person, and this inspirational film is a tribute to her courage and determination. Julia Sarah Stone, who plays the young Marlene and falls for Steven while he was serving time in prison, is also featured in this year’s WFF entry AN INTROVERT’S GUIDE TO HIGH SCHOOL.