Love Is the Only Freedom: The Keith LaMar Story

Condemned to die for a crime he says he didn’t commit, Keith LaMar—a poet, educator, and humanitarian—faced a January 13, 2027, execution date until very recently, when Ohio Governor Mike DeWine granted Keith a reprieve until January 16, 2030. Now, Keith and his attorneys have more time to prove his innocence and expose a system determined to kill him. While the film follows the legal case, it offers an intimate, unfiltered portrait of Keith, exploring how he has sustained hope and humanity through three decades in solitary confinement. During that time, he has written a memoir, recorded a jazz album with Grammy-winning musicians, created an award-winning animated film, and led transformative educational and arts initiatives from prison. As Keith continues his legal battle, he is joined by a global coalition of artists, activists, attorneys, and athletes whose efforts blur the lines between advocacy and art. Through his story, the film also confronts urgent questions about innocence, race, incarceration, and the future of capital punishment in America.