Oscar night 2021. Cut to Union Station. Fog and light drizzle. The winner for best documentary, “Chauvinist” by 17 year-old Darnella Frazier. The countdown:
Eleven months since the murder seen round the world
Ten hours of jury deliberations
Nine minutes of video shot on a cell phone
Enter Derek Chauvin in an orange prison jumpsuit. Icy, un-blinking eyes. Tim McVeigh returned to this world. An unexpected verdict. Mark Fuhrman did not ride in for the rescue. Eyes dart wildly like an animal about to be caged.
A heavy iron door rolls back. Burly guard shoves the prisoner into his new den. Derek’s old roommate looks up from a hand carved chess board. Aquamarine eyes that rival his own? “Welcome. Would you care for a nice glass of Chianti?”
Dan Bercu