The goal of conference was to begin developing a far-reaching plan and several related shorter-term, concrete projects through which people and organizations collectively advance an inclusive, opportunity-expanding agenda over the next decade.
the Houston Institute's Founder and Executive Director, Charles J. Ogletree, Jr., along with an inspiration introduction by the son of the man for which the Houston Institute is named, Charles Hamilton Houston, Jr.
T. Edwards, and John H. Rutherford, Sheriff of Jacksonville, Florida.“Surviving Criminalization: Films on Incarceration & Family Detention”
Wednesday, October 14: Another great night of conversation and building connections!
We extend thanks to our colleagues at the Equal Justice Society for inviting us to co-present our work along with the west-coast premier of “The Least of These,” a provocative documentary that addresses the use of family detention as part of the current U.S. immigration.
More than 120 tickets were sold for this screening, and over 100 of these folks stuck around for the question-and-answer session that followed.
Speaking on behalf of “The Trust” were Producer/Director Tamara Perkins, Film Advisor Arnold Perkins, and Rhody McCoy, Program Associate for The National Trust for the Development of African American Men.
The clip we showed was an enhanced version of the previous week’s presentation at Saint Mary’s, which focused mostly on the men inside. This updated segment reflects the on-going efforts of Tamara and Editor Diana J. Brodie, who have been hard at work interweaving input from incarceration experts and family members. As we watched from the comfort of the cushy seats at the Sundance Kabuki Theatre, the film itself looked fabulous and lush in all it’s glory up there on the big screen!
There were two recurring themes that arose in the post-screening Q & A conversation:
(1) the importance of illuminating our cultural reliance on incarceration as a solution to “problems” such as asylum seekers and drug addiction. A deeper look at the situation reveals a powerful profit motive for maintaining prisons along with extreme racial disparities regarding incarceration rates. (In the words of one audience member: “immigrants are being held because they are leaving deplorable conditions, and black and brown people are being held because they can’t leave deplorable conditions.”)
(2) a shared understanding of our inter-connectedness with those behind bars. Panelist Clark Lyda, Co-Producer of “The Least of These,” clarified that his priority for the film was to connect viewers with a stronger sense of the immigration detainees as fellow humans who are attempting to find safety and security for their families, while Tamara echoed this theme when she declared that “rehabilitating” how our society views prisoners as “others” is foremost in her mind as she moves forward in completing “The Trust.”
Again, many thanks to the co-sponsors of the event: the Equal Justice Society, in partnership with the ACLU of Northern California, the San Francisco Film Society, and the Commonweal Institute.
-----
Watch for upcoming blog posts as we continue to build connections with community partners: bringing you additional news from fellow activists working to put a human face on the issue of incarceration.
The Trust is a character-driven feature length film set inside San Quentin State Prison and surrounding Bay Area communities. It tells the story of Ernest Morgan, Darnell Hill and Sean Williams, all inmates and participants in The National Trust, a peer-driven prison program that helps men transform from social liabilities into assets for themselves, their families and their communities.
The film’s goal is to create a national dialogue on the issues of incarceration through these three stories. Each man’s narrative represents a unique aspect of the path to prison and journey back into society. Can the men find redemption for their past? Will they be able to overcome the stigmas attached to incarceration on the outside? The film will address these questions and more while engaging a wide audience on the broader consequences of incarceration.
Characters
Ernest Morgan was imprisoned for life at age 17; he is now 39 and a leader in The Trust Program. Twenty-two years ago Ernest killed a family member in a fit of fear and rage. Since that time, he has struggled for internal forgiveness and has found purpose as a mentor for other men attempting to surmount their own demons.
Darnell Hill, aged 39, was sentenced to 10 years to Life in prison at 22 and is now The Trust’s head instructor. Darnell was convicted along side his father on two counts of kidnap robbery. During his time behind bars he has endeavored to redefine himself outside of his father’s shadow. He offers his students a model for a path out of the generational cycle of crime.
Sean Williams is 28 and was imprisoned for robbery. After being released from San Quentin he finds himself in a state of constant anxiety. Every meal with his wife, every hug from his 2-year old daughter and every glimmer of success is shaded with the fear that one false move could send him back to prison. Looming in the background are bills he has not dealt with in years, the frustration of finding a job and the pace of life outside, which leaves him a feeling a step behind.
Current Status
The Trust began with nearly two years of pre-production and research. In that time, Director and Producer Tamara Perkins has established extraordinary access through her trusted relationships with the men of The National Trust program and the San Quentin Warden and prison staff. She has also assembled a remarkable team of filmmakers and support crew to achieve the project goals.
Currently, the film is in full-scale production. Production began in January 2009 and will continue through November 2010.
Thus far, the project has raised $20,000 in individual contributions, $30,000 from the San Francisco Foundation and $15,000 from smaller foundation grants. We also have $57,500 of pending grant applications, which we hope to receive in the coming months. We have approached a crucial period for fundraising and are seeking funds to support interviews with family members of the incarcerated, development of an interactive website, educational materials for outreach, and funds to help with community screening events.
Trust Team
As the leader on the project, Tamara Perkins brings experience in directing and producing policy-based initiative and instructional DVDs as well as, narrative and documentary films. Prior to starting The Trust, Tamara worked for over a year with The San Quentin Trust program before being asked by the participants to help tell their story.
The Trust’s Director of Photography and Co-Producer Jesse Dana began working with Tamara to establish the look and story of the project two years ago; he brings a broad range of cinematography experience to the project from commercial pieces to feature length narrative work. Jesse is also mentoring five inmates trained in filmmaking as part of The San Quentin Media Project. These five inmates will be collecting internal footage for the documentary, including interviewing fellow inmates, to provide a unique insider perspective of life behind bars.
