Filmmakers Jenny Phillips and Bestor Cram deliver a raw and provocative study of former and current convicts struggling to rebuild their lives after incarceration in this documentary set in the depressed Massachusetts localities of Lawrence and Lowell. Each man finds a different route to redemption and reinvention. Louie Diaz works with prisoners as a substance abuse counselor and re-entry specialist, helping convicts to achieve sobriety and avoid recidivism. However, his criminal background often prevents him from going further in his professional ambitions. Another former prisoner, Billy Cabrera, starts a new life as the owner of a barbershop, offering free haircuts and a resource center for released prisoners. And Jesus Ruiz is preparing to return to freedom but faces financial and personal pressures that seem to overwhelm him. Shot over a four-year period, Beyond the Wall takes an in-depth look at the emotional difficulties and societal pressures placed upon these men as they try to reset their lives. While criticizing the criminal justice system for its failure to properly prepare the men for their return to the wider world, the filmmakers also make it clear that the men are responsible for their choices and decisions, which carry consequences. Often disturbing but ultimately moving, this trenchant portrait of life after prison is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Beyond the Wall
(2016) 74 min. DVD: $59.95 ($299 w/PPR from edu.passionriver.com). Passion River (avail. from most distributors). Volume 33, Issue 5
Beyond the Wall
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