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Prisons and Prisoners (15)

  • Cell 16
    Cell 16
    Martin Duckworth 1971 14 min
    This short documentary portrays the complex effects of incarceration on individuals. Prisons, the film shows, lock men within themselves, depriving their minds of normal life experiences, confiscating their humanity.
  • Changes ... "Let's Talk About Them!"
    Changes ... "Let's Talk About Them!"
    Roger Blais 1972 22 min
    Paul Faguy, Penitentiary Commissioner, discusses prison reform and staff participation.
  • Conviction
    Conviction
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    Nance Ackerman Ariella Pahlke , … 2019 1 h 17 min
    Conviction envisions alternatives to prison through the eyes of women behind bars and those fighting on the front lines of the decarceration movement. Not another ‘broken prison’ film, this collaboration is a ‘broken society’ film—an ambitious and inspired re-build of our community, from the inside out. The film compels viewers to examine why we imprison the most vulnerable among us, and at what cost.
  • Confessions of an Innocent Man
    Confessions of an Innocent Man
    David Paperny 2007 52 min
    This raw exposé examines William Sampson’s harrowing experience while imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for a crime he didn’t commit. Sampson was working as a businessman when he was suddenly arrested and charged with a terrorist bombing and murder. He was tortured and held for 31 months. He is still fighting to hold the Saudi government accountable. He also asks, Where was the Canadian government?
  • The Free Ones
    The Free Ones
    Nicolas Lévesque 2020 1 h 34 min
    The Free Ones is a full-length documentary feature which shows us how four detainees are dealing with the end of their prison sentence, in a sawmill. Can a factory job help them to make the necessary transformation and become free men? Hidden from society’s view and through meetings with their instructors, psychotherapists and other participants, we accompany Samuel, Pierrot, Fred and Steve talk about their hopes and fears during this six-month transition period.
  • Home Again
    Home Again
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    Sudz Sutherland 2012 1 h 43 min
    This feature drama tells the story of Marva, Dunston and Everton, three Jamaicans who grew up in Toronto, New York and London respectively, and are deported “home” to Jamaica. Once in Kingston, they discover that every day is a fight for survival in which family support, friendships and shelter are elusive. They each embark on a journey that pushes their endurance beyond measure and forces them to discover who they truly are. A powerful, visually stunning film, Home Again asks the question: “How would you survive?” Starring Tatyana Ali and singer-songwriter Fefe Dobson.
  • Kids in Jail
    Kids in Jail
    Larry Lynn 2013 45 min
    With unprecedented access, this documentary paints an intimate, complex portrait of kids in jail. The film raises difficult yet vital questions about at-risk youth and young offenders, and asks: Should we be doing more to help them?
  • Life Inside Out
    Life Inside Out
    Sarah Zammit 2005 1 h 13 min
    This documentary takes us inside the walls of Grand Valley Institution—one of five federal prisons for women in Canada. Here, most residents live in small shared houses, in an environment that is supposed to be female-friendly. The film features three unforgettable women over age 50 doing time in a system that can seem designed to frustrate and baffle. Vietnamese Kim struggles with translation and awaits a parole board hearing that seems to never come, while Pearl relies on her faith in God to stay positive throughout the hard reality of prison life. Finally, T.A.'s larger-than-life outlook serves her well, whether she's fighting for greater access and rights for prisoners or composing and performing her own country-tinged musical compositions. While the film doesn't idealize these flawed characters, it also advances the notion that those who have committed crimes deserve to be treated with dignity.
  • Mercy
    Mercy
    Sam Flamont 2020 1 h 26 min
    A headstrong, farm boy wants to get back what he loses after landing in prison, only to discover what's on the outside, isn't what he wants at all.
  • Detention
    Detention
    Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers  &  David Seitz 2017 37 s
    This ultra-short film proves that walls are real and borders are imaginary with an animated critique of long-term detention for minors in immigration centres.

  • Penitentiary
    Penitentiary
    Ronald Weyman 1951 11 min
    Part of the Canada Carries On series, this short documentary reports on the conditions in a Canadian penitentiary, focusing on the treatments developed to reduce the amount of recidivism. Prisoners spend the majority of their days in cells, but they also work—in quarry gangs, on farms, and as tailors and shoe-repairmen. Monthly visitors are allowed, but movements within the prison are tightly controlled. This film is a revealing portrait of the criminal justice system and its philosophies on recidivism in the middle of the 20th century.
  • Sentenced to Life
    Sentenced to Life
    Marie Cadieux 2003 1 h 10 min
    This feature documentary tells the story of Diane Charron, a young woman who began a life sentence behind bars in 1981 when she was entangled in a friend's act of revenge and ended up stabbing a stranger to death. She had just turned 19. The film follows the story of Diane's life, from her own testimony and that of corrections officers, prison caseworkers and psychiatrists. Many show remarkable sympathy and affection for a troubled woman whose early life was marked by abuse. Sentenced to life is a strong film that raises difficult questions about prisoners with mental health problems.
  • The Spirit Within
    The Spirit Within
    Gil Cardinal  &  Wil Campbell 1990 51 min
    This documentary looks at various Indigenous spirituality programs that run in western Canadian federal penitentiaries, as well as in some provincial institutions. These programs are led by elders, with assistance from liaison officers. They include workshops, ceremonies, and other traditional methods that help put the incarcerated back in touch with themselves, their culture, and their spirituality. A unique glimpse of the lives of Indigenous inmates.
  • Very Present
    Very Present
    Conor McNally 2020 5 min
    How does prolonged confinement shape our experience of time? Filmmaker Conor McNally explores the question in the company of his brother Riley, a young man who’s learning to cope with a new—yet strangely familiar—reality.
  • Waseskun
    Waseskun
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    Steve Patry 2016 1 h 21 min
    Filmed in cinéma vérité style, this feature-length doc follows a group of incarcerated men with troubled pasts as they undergo treatment based on Indigenous philosophy at the Waseskun Healing Center. Director Steve Patry spent a full year with these men, gaining their trust and confidence. The result is a remarkable and gripping film about learning to overcome suffering and finding balance.