The Work

Within the walls of Folsom Prison prisoners meet regularly for a therapy group and once a year 40 civilians join them for a four day group intensive.

This is surprising and immersive material for a documentary, the work done in group settings is personal, raw, and emotional. The tears of the 'lifers' are moving, tough guys getting in touch with something deeper under their rugged exteriors. On the troubling side, group therapy is a contact sport rather than a spectator sport and you have to wonder how much context had to be edited out. Working, but not on the chain gang.

MIFF 2017
87 mins