France

I am currently in Paris, here to film the street naming of a city in Paris after Mumia.

It's quite exciting as for the first time I've met alot of the people that I have been talking to about making the film for a long time. I met Robert Bryan, who's Mumia's attorney and Pam Africa, who's kind of the figurehead of the Mumia support network.

They were all really nice people, and all thought that it was pretty crazy that I was born on the day of the shooting and represented Mumia's incarceration.

They had a ceremony for unveiling, and many local politicians, activists and families came out to witness the unveiling and partake in the celebration. There was great music and food and people doing street art. There's something about the French, that you have to love in their love of political struggle, and although everyone there was present for a serious issue, it did not stop them from enjoying being together with each other and celebrating at the same time.

I got a shock at one point as Julia Wright, who's one of the organiser's of the french Mumia support (and the daughter writer, Richard Wright) asked me to make a speech on the stage. I was pretty nervous but I guess I'm going to have to get used to public speaking. I did ok and kept it as short as possible. I got a laugh and a cheer so it couldn't have been too bad.

I think for me, the most astounding part was that from a lone death row cell in Pennsylvania, Mumia Abu-Jamal had been able to influence this gathering of people in Paris to honour him. Whether you think Mumia's guilty or innocent or you don't really care, you can't help but be astounded by that. It's amazing the outreach that he has and the impact that he's making. I'm already hoping, that if nothing else, our film can convey that achievement because it really is remarkable.