news

Community Outreach for "The Farm: Angola, USA"

Published on July 25, 2001

Gabriel Film's "The Farm: Angola, USA" has been used all over the country to raise awareness about criminal justice issues. Once a southern plantation, Angola is America's largest and oldest maximum security prison where 85% of the prison population are serving life sentences. " The Farm, Angola, USA" follows the lives of six inmates and looks at the "possibility of forgiveness as part of the criminal justice system." The film premiered on A%E in 1998 and has won numerous awards including the 1998 Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and two Emmy awards. An extensive outreach campaign was initiated in Louisiana to enhance public understanding of criminal justice and to support crime prevention programs. Gabriel Films worked closely with organizers from the O'Brien House, a rehabilitation center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to coordinate events including:

town hall meetings

college/university screenings

middle/high school programs

interventions in juvenile detention centers

According to the film's director, Jonathan Stack, the town hall meetings were the very successful and provided a forum for public debate on topics relating to crime, incarceration, and legislation reform. Stack said, "sitting around these tables were people from

"My goal was to get the film to people who should be talking to policymakersand once that happens then you begin a dialogue, and at that point, I don't think the filmmaker is the prime spokesperson for the issues. That's when you step back and let the specialists really work on the issues." Jonathan Stack, Director of "The Farm, Angola, USA".

the whole spectrum, from people who had perpetrated a crime to people who were victims of crime, prosecutors, lawyers, and judges—everybody who represents the cycle of crime and justiceClearly in this group is where the answers lie because these are the people who are doing something about it."

Achievements of the outreach campaign:

A short curriculum has been presented along with the screenings to youth viewers in nine Louisiana high schools.

The Juvenile Prison Awareness Program (JPAP), started in April 1999, has been successfully implemented in 5 juvenile prisons/jails in Louisiana.

The film has been shown at correctional facilities in California, Oregon, Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Illinois, and New York.

The film is mandatory viewing for all incoming correctional employees at the Louisiana Department of Corrections.

"The Farm affected my life tremendously. First, it gave international attention to my plight. Letters poured in to the president, the governor, the parole and pardon boards, the warden and myself concerning my release and support. Eventually, I was granted another parole hearing and on June 18,1999, I was ordered released. Also, it was through The Farm that I met my current wife." Ashanti Witherspoon, one of the prisoners depicted in "The Farm, Angola, USA" is a motivational speaker and the author of several books.

The film costs approximately $350,000 to make and the entire production, from research to delivery, took about a year and a half. Over 10,000 videos of The Farm have been sold to date.

If you are representing an institution [library,school or non-profit organization] that is interested purchasing a video copy of "The Farm, Angola, USA", you can take advantage of a 10% discount until October 31, 2000 by e-mailing the distributor, seventhart@earthlink.net and mentioning MediaRights.org. The discounted cost is $225 and includes a poster and press kit. The Farm is also available for screening rentals in 16 mm and video formats, also available at Seventh Art.

Article by Nicole Rajani