I was personal friends with David Milgaard from 2018 until his death. In that time I worked with him to advocate for changes to the justice systems. We ran a youtube channel called Project Milgaard if you want to check it out.
This Made-For-TV movie aired on CTV and went on to win several Gemini Awards that year. Ian Tracey does an excellent job portraying David for dramatic purposes. Milgaard was a complicated man and Ian Tracey was able to embody his spirit. It makes me sad that David is gone and that he passed away.
This film manages to tell a 23 year long story in 90 minutes. The story is told with compassion and honor for David. There is a chance that a more gritty version of this story could be told. Either way, Milgaard himself didn't have much interest in reliving his past. He just wanted to live as much as possible. I miss him every day.
This film is terrific and it has excellent production values. There are some inaccuracies, but we have to accept this as a dramatic interpretation. A way for the viewer to experience the pain, the anguish, and the frustration that David and his friends felt as the Saskatoon Police pressed them until they gave a false confession.
It is a story that happens all to frequently. There are many stories of wrongful conviction and false imprisonment. We can only hope that conditions can improve for all prisoners so that the wrongfully convicted do not suffer.
