Dear Zachary | A Letter to a Son about his Father

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father is a 2008 American documentary film written, produced, edited, and directed by Kurt Kuenne. The film is about Kuenne’s close friend Andrew Bagby, who was murdered after Bagby ended a relationship with a woman named Shirley Jane Turner. Shortly after she was arrested as a suspect, Turner announced that she was pregnant with Bagby’s child, a boy she named Zachary. Kuenne interviewed numerous relatives, friends, and associates of Andrew Bagby and incorporate their loving remembrances into a film that would serve as a cinematic scrapbook for the son who never knew him. Kuenne has stated that Dear Zachary began as a project only to be shown to friends and family of Andrew Bagby. However, as the events unfolded, Kuenne released the film publicly. Dear Zachary premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in 2008, and received a limited theatrical release before being acquired for distribution by MSNBC. It has received critical acclaim and has been noted for its editing and emotional weight. In 2010, after watching the documentary, MP Scott Andrews introduced Bill C-464 (also known as “Zachary’s Bill“) to the Parliament of Canada. The bill, which helps protect children in relation to bail hearings and custody disputes, was signed into law. Kuenne is donating all profits from the film to a scholarship established in the names of Andrew and Zachary Bagby. #KurtKuenne #DearZachary #Slamdance #documentaries