Into the Abyss, subtitled A Tale of Death, a Tale of Life, is a 2011 documentary film written and directed by Werner Herzog about two men convicted of a triple homicide that occurred in Conroe, Texas. Michael Perry received a death sentence for the crime. The documentary also features an interview of Perry's accomplice, Jason Burkett, who was spared execution. The film was first shown on September 3, 2011, at the Telluride Film Festival, and had its official world premiere on September 8, 2011, at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. After strong festival showings and a surge of interest in the issue of capital punishment in the United States, Herzog requested that the film be rushed into general theatrical release, which occurred on November 11, 2011. Synopsis The film profiles Michael James Perry (April 9, 1982 – July 1, 2010), a man on death row convicted of murdering Sandra Stotler, a 50-year-old nurse. He also confessed to two other murders which occurred in Conroe, Texas. Perry was convicted of the October 2001 murder 8 years before filming; the crimes apparently were committed to steal a car for a joyride. Perry denies that he was responsible for the killings. Perry's final interviews for the film were recorded only eight days before his execution on July 1, 2010. The film also includes interviews with victims' families and law-enforcement officers. The film does not focus on Perry's guilt or innocence and features a minimal amount of narration, with Herzog never appearing onscreen, unlike in many of his films. Production Herzog had long considered making a film about prison inmates. In fact, Herzog, at age 17, had intended to make his first film about the maximum-security Straubing prison in Bavaria. This concept was never realized, but the idea remained dormant until Into the Abyss decades later. The film was financed by American cable TV channel Investigation Discovery, which gave Herzog financing and creative freedom. The film went through several working titles during its production. For a time, it was called simply Death Row, and this was later elaborated to Gazing Into The Abyss: A Tale of Death, a Tale Of Life. The television broadcast of the film and the related series was briefly referred to as Werner Herzog’s Final Confessions, but eventually aired with the title On Death Row. Certain voices in the production wanted the film's title to be The Red Camaro,