Article from Variety.com: https://variety.com/2022/film/global/pch-deaths-documentary-21-miles-in-malibu-1235427885/
Producer Michel Shane has unveiled his latest project titled “21 Miles in Malibu,” a feature documentary about the frequent fatalities on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH).
The documentary was inspired by the 2010 murder of Shane’s 13-year-old daughter Emily, who was mowed down by a suicidal driver while walking along PCH on her way home from a friend’s house.
In the doc, Shane, whose EP credits include “I, Robot” and “Catch Me if You Can,” exposes how the 21-mile road that runs alongside the sparkling coast of California is “one of the most deadly stretches of asphalt on Earth.”
The film explores the history of Malibu and PCH and looks at why stricter regulations have been suggested countless times but never implemented.
Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Nic Davis (“Enormous: The Gorge Story”) directs.
Distribution rights to the doc are in negotiation and the film has also been submitted at festivals worldwide.
Shane, who was awarded a Lifelong Achievement Award by President Barack Obama in 2015, is the chair of The Emily Shane Foundation, which he set up alongside his wife Ellen in memory of their daughter. He is currently appealing to keep his daughter’s killer behind bars.
“This story is not a pleasant one,” says Shane. “It was a life-changing moment for my whole family and me. On April 3, 2010, my youngest child Emily was at friends having had a sleepover. It was spring break. We were planning to go to a film. Emily called and asked to be picked up. She had enough and wanted to come home to do something else. I asked if she could wait about 20 minutes as I had some work, and she said she would rather not, so I went to pick her up. While waiting for the light to change so I could turn on the PCH, I saw a car speeding and driving crazily. I shook my head in disbelief. Well, that car, that driver, took my daughter’s life. He pointed the car at her and killed her while trying to commit suicide. He lived. She did not. This was life changing. My 13-year-old daughter was gone, and in a split second, my life was changed forever.”
Davis said: “’21 Miles in Malibu’ is about a lot more than the Pacific Coast Highway. It highlights the juxtaposition between one of the most iconic places in the world, and one of the deadliest. I was compelled to make the film after hearing Michel Shane’s story about his daughter, Emily. We’ve all heard stories about road violence and tragedy, but it doesn’t feel real until it happens to you, or someone you know.”
Check out the trailer below:
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