The Staircase

In the early hours of December 9, 2001 in the city of Durham, North Carolina, a 911 call came in from a man who had a hard time explaining that his wife had fallen down a flight of stairs. "She is bleeding profusely, but she's still breathing," he said. When the medical team arrived five minutes later, it was too late and the victim had already died. They were alarmed by the quantity of blood around the corpse of Kathleen Peterson, which lay at the bottom of a narrow stairway. Her husband also had traces of blood on his hands and face. For the investigator in charge of the case, the facts spoke for themselves: it was not an accident, but murder. A week later, Michael Peterson was arrested. Thus starts the unique voyage of 360 minutes into the cause of Kathleen Peterson's death, the ensuing trial, and how the media covered it all. Academy Award winner Jean-Xavier de Lestrade (was able to film all aspects of the story and interview family members; because of the dramatic events, the experience of watching comes close to a documentary thriller full of twists and turns. In its scope, it provides a unique view of American society and its justice system, leaving your spine tingling all the while.