The film screens at part of the Conversations series at UWM at 1 p.m. on Oct. 3. The free screening takes place in room B91 of Mitchell Hall, 3203 N. Downer Ave., and Miller will be on hand to discuss the film.
Opening with a series of interview snippets that set the scene and context for the story of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, anarchists convicted of the murders of two men in a Massachusetts robbery, “Sacco and Vanzetti,” includes interviews not only with respected historians like Nunzio Pernicone, Michael Topp, Studs Terkel and Howard Zinn, but also with an art historian, an artist, a neighbor and a relative of the condemned, the daughter of one of the murdered men, an opera composer, a peace activist, a film director, musicians and others.
The result is a film that explores not only the history of the case but also its affect on a wide range American culture.
“Sacco and Vanzetti” is also engaging filmmaking, with excerpts from the letters of Sacco and Vanzetti read by actors Tony Shalhoub (a Wisconsin native) and John Turturro, vintage footage and folk songs about the case. Miller also traveled to Sacco's hometown in southern Italy to interview his niece.
The ways in which Sacco and Vanzetti were tried -- their politics formed part of the prosecution's case in their murder trial, there is now clear evidence that the prosecution lied and likely tampered with evidence, the judge was clearly biased (and his verdict was upheld by a commission that wrote its decision before the defense made its closing arguments) and a compelling confession from another man was ignored, for example -- are, in the end, offered as powerful reasons why Americans must struggle to safeguard our Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
