
About The Film
Hope of Escape is a feature length historical drama that follows the true story of Diana Williams, her daughter Cornelia, and her daughter’s sweetheart, Wilby, as they plan their own emancipation from slavery in Wilmington, North Carolina. Time is running out. Diana and Cornelia discover they are about to be sold and possibly separated forever. Wilby discovers a window of opportunity to break free, but he's overwhelmed by timing and logistics that are more complicated than he could have imagined. Filmmaker Amy Gerber, who is a direct descendent of Diana, Cornelia and Wilby, brings her forebears to life by having a sit-down interview with them in a studio. From their own memories, that come into view as flashbacks, we learn about the harrowing journey they made. Hope of Escape recasts the history of enslaved persons pursuing freedom and highlights the trials and triumphs of one family determined to make a better life and a better country.
