THE FEAR OF 13

UK, 2015, 96 minutes, Colour.

Nick Yarris.

Directed by David Sington.

For most audiences, this is a compelling documentary. However, audiences who have come across it and prefer fast action films, have found it very boring. But, boring it is not.

We are informed at the beginning that this is a film about a one time young petty criminal, who was charged with rape and murder, his previous prison sentences added to, finally finishing on death row. After 20 years on death row, we are informed that he made a petition that he should be executed. However, he was not executed – and, his plea of innocence was vindicated with the introduction of DNA samples, checking, detection, finding the true of offenders. But, even this took a long time in the latter part of the 20 years of the 20.

This 96 minute film is mainly close-ups of the subject, Nick Yarris, speaking to camera. He is in his 40s, somewhat gaunt, bald, very direct to camera. In fact, his narrating of his story is so articulate and persuasive it seemed necessary to do some checking, surely this expert telling of a life was a script and spoken by a professional actor. But, no, this is the actual Nick Yarris.

His story is compelling as is his manner of telling the story, pacing, earnestness, some self-condemnation, admitting his petty criminal history from the age of 15, stealing and selling cars to a dealer to disguise and re-sell them, the introduction to drugs, being ousted from home, on the streets, arrest and prison. There is also the vivid story of his being transferred, going to the restroom at a service station, a kind of comedy of sequences and events which led to his escape, stealing a car, going to Florida, hiding… But, he is discovered sleeping in his car, arresting policeman seeing his gun protruding from a cover, conflict, his outwitting them, his getting his father to phone the FBI, his arrest and subsequent trial, the police changing their story. He has some relish in recounting the trial and the jury seeing through the full stories by the police.

However, far more serious was the accusation that he had raped and stabbed to death a young mother. The jury took very dim views of this and he was sentenced to prison, to life, to death row.

A great deal of his narrative concerns what it was like to be sentenced to prison, the violence of some of the wardens, solitary, meals and disputes, everyone punished because of the action of one prisoner, and eventual attack and rape. But, there is the other side of his time, beginning to learn, the use of words, studying, reading, becoming quite an accomplished wordsmith. And, as with so many stories, there is a woman who takes an interest in the prisoner, meets him, helps him with his pleas, romance and marriage but, after so many years of trying to help, her not being able to cope.

And, all the while, as he tells his narrative, spins his story, we are wondering where it will lead to – eventually to discoveries with DNA samples, the long time that it took (unconscionable when you think back on it) to do the investigations and to get the results, and, at the end, the prison wardens unhappy with his release.

One of the reasons that this is a British documentary is that after his release he moved to England, married, has a daughter, tells his story. And the director, David Sington, is also British with many nominations and awards for his documentaries.