Approach
“I don’t believe I would have ever stepped through the WCCW’s gates i f my family would have gotten me help–therapy, mentoring, counseling—to deal with the trauma I experienced being molested and physically abused.”
— LaTonya
In each episode, we will follow the stories of two to three women. As the women tell us their stories, we will intercut this footage with images of them in their everyday environments: their cell, the prison beautyshop where they work, the laundry, the library, etc. This will allow us a more intimate look into the day-to-day rigors of prison life. To add a further visual layer, when they speak of their neighborhoods, we will see them. When they describe how they feel they let their families down, we will meet them. We will speak to their daughters and sons to learn the effects their mothers’ incarceration has had on them and in what direction they are headed. Whenever possible we will speak to their closest friends and family members, always on the search for the answers as to what could have changed the directions of these women’s lives.
The camera work will be thoughtful, well composed and still. Allowing space for the viewer to take in what these women are sharing with us. A space to really consider and breakdown the path that led them here and what they went through along the way. To create even deeper resonance, we will use the most powerful words and passages from their letters graphically on the screen.
Production: The production team will be small and focused. The less people we bring into the interviews, the more intimate an environment we create.
Future Episodes: This series has the potential to be replicated in other prisons around the country. A second season could bring us to a men’s prison, a juvenile detention center or other women’s correctional facilities across the country.
