Herman Wallace has been in solitary confinement for 40 years as of 2012. Jackie Sumell begins sending letters to Herman after hearing about him in a lecture because she passionately believed that solitary confinement was inhumane. To help Herman, she suggests he think about what his dream house would look like, which is where the project “The House that Herman Built” started.
From that simple question, Herman and Jackie collaborate and design his dream house. First they create the house virtually. Then it evolves into an art exhibit, and finally Jackie begins trying to build it in Herman’s home town of New Orleans.
The documentary chronicles the growing friendship between Herman and Jackie and their journey into trying to make Herman’s House more than just a dream. While Herman is never filmed because of his imprisonment, the many phone conversations presented in the film showcase his realistic and often inspiring attitude about life. “Herman’s House” is a powerful and riveting story that words cannot do justice.
The last chance to watch “Herman’s House” during True/False will be tomorrow 3:30 p.m. at the Picturehouse.
By Kira Lubahn and Belquis Elhadi
