MUMBAI: Director Doug Liman and screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher have come together to re-create the 1971 Attica state prison uprising.
The four-day confrontation between prisoners and guards -- described as a riot by some, a rebellion by others -- inspired Al Pacino‘s famous chant of Attica! Attica!" in Dog Day Afternoon.
Liman brings a personal connection to the independently financed project, since his late father, Arthur Liman, served as chief counsel to the New York State Special Commission on Attica Prison.
In a recent blog posting, Limon described visiting the prison with Fletcher, an Oscar nominee for his Precious screenplay. He wrote, "The tour was astounding. We followed the steps the prisoners took as they overwhelmed the guards; saw the radiators they ripped off the walls and the gates they smashed open with them. We left with so many stories and names and contacts of people who were there to continue our research."
Liman, director of The Bourne Ultimatum and The Bourne Identity has earlier directed Fair Game starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts as Joseph Wilson and Valerie Plame, which will be released this year.