TORONTO- There he was again, possibly the most Skyped man on earth, Peter Jackson. This time, he was beamed down to a big screen at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Because he is distant (being a New Zealander) and tech-savvy (as a master of Weta Digital), Mr. Jackson has a way of showing up on video hook-ups to the darnedest places. Some years ago, one of his communiques - in 3-D, no less â€" wound up at a reception in a soundstage on Universal's lot. A big, sneakered foot seemed to be dangling over the appetizers.
In Toronto, Mr. Jackson's Skype-ly presence was intent on talking about a documentary, “West of Memphis,†of which he and his life partner, Fran Walsh, are producers. Direc ted by Amy Berg, the film is a demand for exoneration of the West Memphis Three, a group of young friends who were convicted of killing three eight-year-olds in Arkansas, but were released last year under an unusual arrangement that let them plead guilty while continuing to claim innocence.
“I've never been to Arkansas in my life, and I never will be, now, actually,†said Mr. Jackson. He was describing his sense of outrage at officials who, in his view, have failed to pursue the real killer, even as DNA testing turned up no connection between the crime scene and those who were convicted.
Damian Echols, one of the West Memphis Three, attended the press conference in the flesh, not via Skype. So did Johnny Depp, who has been a relentless defender of the group.
It was not his status as a star, but his sense of friendship and humanity, said Mr. Depp, that led to his involvement. “I'm essentially a gas station attendant with a very strange job,†he said. “I don't think of myself as a celebrity.â€
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