Kelly Duda
Encyclopedia
Kelly Duda is an American filmmaker and activist from Arkansas
. Duda spent seven years making Factor 8: The Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal
.
Variety magazine described Duda as "a pit bull with a bureaucratic bone" who "follows subjects fearlessly and ventures into hostile environs (and) comes away, most of the time, with the information he wants to get." Variety described Factor 8 as "hard-headed journalism" stating, "one of the things that hits the viewer in 'Factor 8' is that Ken Starr spent more than $40 million trying to pin something on then-President Bill Clinton
, and missed what Duda found via sheer leg work." Duda experienced a significant amount of blow back in his native state of Arkansas as a result of his investigation, including claims of death threats, his tires being slashed, break-ins, files being stolen, and other things.
The American Film Institute
remarked, "Kelly Duda's dedication to the truth is an inspiration—this expose wears his heart on its sleeve, refusing to let the victims die in vain."
Duda was also part of the team for Fuji Television
that produced The Hepatitis C
Epidemic: A 15-Year Government Cover-up. The program won a George Foster Peabody Award
in 2003 and was reportedly watched by more than 12 million viewers in Japan
.
Evidence and documents unearthed by Duda were used to help 5,500 "forgotten" Canadian victims of tainted blood receive a $1 billion compensation package from the Canadian federal government in 2006.
On July 11, 2007, Duda testified (as the only American) at the Lord Archer Inquiry on Contaminated Blood in the Parliament of the United Kingdom
overseen by Peter Archer, Baron Archer of Sandwell
. The British inquiry aimed to uncover the British government's part in a scandal that led to thousands of infections and deaths. Duda gave evidence as to the United States' role in the tragedy
in what Lord Robert Winston
has dubbed as "the worst treatment disaster in the history of the National Health Service
". Describing him as "a bit of a maverick", the New Statesman
remarked about Duda that, "his flat American accent stood out at the inquiry but not as much as his character," adding, "By the time he was done testifying to Lord Archer of Sandwell’s Inquiry, those in the audience who weren't familiar with his work had been swayed that the scandal was even worse than they realised - an idea that seemed impossible only one hour earlier."
In 2009, the two-year old inquiry's conclusion condemned the UK government for its lack of self sufficiency, citing the use of high-risk prisoners' blood from the U.S. as one of the factors.
Further evidence of Duda's helped lead to four successful class-action lawsuits for tainted blood victims in Japan, which led to government compensation for 1,000 victims, and an apology from Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who on January 11, 2008, said: "We must frankly admit the state's responsibility for causing huge harm to the victims and for failing to prevent the harm from spreading. I express my apologies from my heart."
In addition, Duda was the "go-to" contact in Arkansas for Robert Greenwald
's controversial documentary Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
, and has contributed to The ACLU Freedom Files.
On September 20, 2007, Kelly Duda traveled to Jena, Louisiana with students from the University of Central Arkansas to participate in the Jena 6 march for justice, along with Martin Luther King III
and thousands of others.
Kelly Duda was co-founder, along with Lanette Grate, of the short-lived West Memphis Three Injustice Project, a 501(c)(3) organization. Duda was also the president of the board. The board members included Grate, Mara Leveritt, Amanda Lamb, and Dennis Devine. Mara Leveritt has reported extensively about the WM3 for the Arkansas Times
as well as authored a book on the subject called Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three
. The mission of the West Memphis Three Injustice Project was to help exonerate Arkansas prisoners Jason Baldwin, Jessie Misskelley and Damien Echols, otherwise known as West Memphis Three
. A long-time supporter of the cause to free the West Memphis 3, Duda joined the WM3 advocacy group Arkansas Take Action in 2007. However, he soon became concerned about financial opacity and irregularities associated with the Damien Echols Trust Account, which seemed to be getting all the funds raised by Echol's wife, Lorri Davis and WM3.org. These concerns were shared by Dan Stidham, Jessie Misskelley's original attorney, now a judge, and confirmed by Jason Baldwin's attorney, John T. Philipsborn. The WM3IP demanded transparency and accountability in WM3.org's fundraising process, so that all three wrongly convicted men could benefit from financial donations, not just one. In fact, according to WM3IP's website at the time, very little of the donated funds collected by Lorri Davis via the WM3.org website had made its way to the defense teams for Misskelley and Baldwin, the "forgotten" other two members of the WM3. Stidham called this lack of fairness in the defense fund distribution "an injustice inside an injustice." Despite great resistance from WM3.org and Lorri Davis, which included public attacks by Davis' publicist, Alice Leeds, and hate blogs and websites set-up to personally attack each of WM3IP board members reputations, concessions were eventually made with guarantees by Davis & Echol's attorney, Dennis Riordan. As a direct result of the WM3IP's efforts and demands, reforms took place and the organization disbanded in 2008.
Kelly Duda was one of the judges at the 2008 & 2009 Little Rock Film Festival
.
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. Duda spent seven years making Factor 8: The Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal
Factor 8: The Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal
Factor 8: The Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal is a feature length documentary by Arkansas filmmaker and investigative journalist Kelly Duda. Through interviews and presentation of documents and footage, Duda alleges that for more than two decades, the Arkansas prison system profited from selling...
.
Variety magazine described Duda as "a pit bull with a bureaucratic bone" who "follows subjects fearlessly and ventures into hostile environs (and) comes away, most of the time, with the information he wants to get." Variety described Factor 8 as "hard-headed journalism" stating, "one of the things that hits the viewer in 'Factor 8' is that Ken Starr spent more than $40 million trying to pin something on then-President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, and missed what Duda found via sheer leg work." Duda experienced a significant amount of blow back in his native state of Arkansas as a result of his investigation, including claims of death threats, his tires being slashed, break-ins, files being stolen, and other things.
The American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
remarked, "Kelly Duda's dedication to the truth is an inspiration—this expose wears his heart on its sleeve, refusing to let the victims die in vain."
Duda was also part of the team for Fuji Television
Fuji Television
is a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
that produced The Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...
Epidemic: A 15-Year Government Cover-up. The program won a George Foster Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
in 2003 and was reportedly watched by more than 12 million viewers in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Evidence and documents unearthed by Duda were used to help 5,500 "forgotten" Canadian victims of tainted blood receive a $1 billion compensation package from the Canadian federal government in 2006.
On July 11, 2007, Duda testified (as the only American) at the Lord Archer Inquiry on Contaminated Blood in the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
overseen by Peter Archer, Baron Archer of Sandwell
Peter Archer, Baron Archer of Sandwell
Peter Kingsley Archer, Baron Archer of Sandwell, PC , is a Labour Party member of the House of Lords.He was previously the Member of Parliament for Rowley Regis and Tipton and for Warley West, having first been elected in the 1966 general election until his leaving the House of Commons at the 1992...
. The British inquiry aimed to uncover the British government's part in a scandal that led to thousands of infections and deaths. Duda gave evidence as to the United States' role in the tragedy
Tragedy (event)
A tragedy is an event in which one or more losses, usually of human life, occurs that is viewed as mournful. Such an event is said to be tragic....
in what Lord Robert Winston
Robert Winston
Robert Maurice Lipson Winston, Baron Winston is a British professor, medical doctor, scientist, television presenter and politician.-Early life and education :...
has dubbed as "the worst treatment disaster in the history of the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
". Describing him as "a bit of a maverick", the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
remarked about Duda that, "his flat American accent stood out at the inquiry but not as much as his character," adding, "By the time he was done testifying to Lord Archer of Sandwell’s Inquiry, those in the audience who weren't familiar with his work had been swayed that the scandal was even worse than they realised - an idea that seemed impossible only one hour earlier."
In 2009, the two-year old inquiry's conclusion condemned the UK government for its lack of self sufficiency, citing the use of high-risk prisoners' blood from the U.S. as one of the factors.
Further evidence of Duda's helped lead to four successful class-action lawsuits for tainted blood victims in Japan, which led to government compensation for 1,000 victims, and an apology from Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who on January 11, 2008, said: "We must frankly admit the state's responsibility for causing huge harm to the victims and for failing to prevent the harm from spreading. I express my apologies from my heart."
In addition, Duda was the "go-to" contact in Arkansas for Robert Greenwald
Robert Greenwald
Robert Greenwald is an American film director, film producer, and political activist.-Early life:Greenwald was born and raised in New York City, the son of Ruth and Harold Greenwald. He attended the city's High School of Performing Arts...
's controversial documentary Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price is a 2005 documentary film by director Robert Greenwald. The film presents an unfavorable picture of Wal-Mart's business practices through interviews with former employees, small business owners, and footage of Wal-Mart executives...
, and has contributed to The ACLU Freedom Files.
On September 20, 2007, Kelly Duda traveled to Jena, Louisiana with students from the University of Central Arkansas to participate in the Jena 6 march for justice, along with Martin Luther King III
Martin Luther King III
Martin Luther King III is an American human rights advocate and community activist. He is the eldest son and oldest living child of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. His siblings are Dexter Scott King, Rev. Bernice Albertine King, and the late Yolanda Denise...
and thousands of others.
Kelly Duda was co-founder, along with Lanette Grate, of the short-lived West Memphis Three Injustice Project, a 501(c)(3) organization. Duda was also the president of the board. The board members included Grate, Mara Leveritt, Amanda Lamb, and Dennis Devine. Mara Leveritt has reported extensively about the WM3 for the Arkansas Times
Arkansas Times
Arkansas Times, a weekly alternative newspaper based in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a publication that has circulated for more than 35 years, originally as a magazine. Its current format stems from reaction to the Arkansas Democrat buyout of assets from Gannett's closure of the Arkansas Gazette in...
as well as authored a book on the subject called Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three
Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three
Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three is a 2002 True Crime book by Mara Leveritt about the 1993 murders of three eight year old children and the subsequent trials of three teenagers charged with and convicted of the crimes. The names of the three teens convicted are: Damien Echols,...
. The mission of the West Memphis Three Injustice Project was to help exonerate Arkansas prisoners Jason Baldwin, Jessie Misskelley and Damien Echols, otherwise known as West Memphis Three
West Memphis Three
The West Memphis Three are three men who were tried and convicted as teenagers in 1994 of the 1993 murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley, Jr. was sentenced to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin was...
. A long-time supporter of the cause to free the West Memphis 3, Duda joined the WM3 advocacy group Arkansas Take Action in 2007. However, he soon became concerned about financial opacity and irregularities associated with the Damien Echols Trust Account, which seemed to be getting all the funds raised by Echol's wife, Lorri Davis and WM3.org. These concerns were shared by Dan Stidham, Jessie Misskelley's original attorney, now a judge, and confirmed by Jason Baldwin's attorney, John T. Philipsborn. The WM3IP demanded transparency and accountability in WM3.org's fundraising process, so that all three wrongly convicted men could benefit from financial donations, not just one. In fact, according to WM3IP's website at the time, very little of the donated funds collected by Lorri Davis via the WM3.org website had made its way to the defense teams for Misskelley and Baldwin, the "forgotten" other two members of the WM3. Stidham called this lack of fairness in the defense fund distribution "an injustice inside an injustice." Despite great resistance from WM3.org and Lorri Davis, which included public attacks by Davis' publicist, Alice Leeds, and hate blogs and websites set-up to personally attack each of WM3IP board members reputations, concessions were eventually made with guarantees by Davis & Echol's attorney, Dennis Riordan. As a direct result of the WM3IP's efforts and demands, reforms took place and the organization disbanded in 2008.
Kelly Duda was one of the judges at the 2008 & 2009 Little Rock Film Festival
Little Rock Film Festival
The Little Rock Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Downtown Little Rock, Arkansas each spring. Based in the historic Little Rock River Market District, home to the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library, the Little Rock Film Festival has showcased the best in Narrative,...
.
External links
- http://www.factor8movie.com Factor 8: The Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal website
- http://www.wm3injusticeproject.com/
- http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jan/17/money-at-root-of-effort-to-free-3/
- http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jan/25/freedom-fund-squabble-grows/
- http://westmemphisthreediscussion.yuku.com/topic/6191/t/Damien-s-Statement.html