40 Years a Prisoner

In 1978, the escalating conflict between Philadelphia leadership and the Black liberation group MOVE led to one of the most controversial police shootouts in American history—and a son's four-decade-long fight to free his parents. The 1978 confrontation, which claimed the life of Officer James Ramp and saw unarmed MOVE member Delbert Africa nearly beaten to death, made headlines and culminated in murder charges and prison sentences of 30 to 100 years for nine MOVE members. This timely documentary chronicles the tireless fight by Mike Africa Jr., despite countless setbacks, to ensure the release of his parents and other MOVE members while illuminating the injustice under Police Commissioner-turned-Mayor Frank Rizzo and the media's role in exacerbating the conflict.