directed by Greg Kwedar
Recently, I shared a post about a documentary which focuses on the power of art in our life, despite the circumstances we’re currently in. Let’s continue this message and talk about “Sing Sing”, which was also nominated for the Best Actor (Colman Domingo), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Song (which was my personal favourite – I recommend you to listen to it while reading this post: “Like a Bird” by Abraham Alexander & Adrian Quesada). This film isn’t a documentary, but it’s based on a real-life program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison. So, you already know where everything takes place. We’re following Divine G (Colman Domingo), a prisoner who’s incredibly involved in Rehabilitation Through the Arts program. A group of incarcerated men form a theatre group, which is believed to help them express all kinds of emotions and use their time in prison in a more creative way. Besides being a fan of such activities, Divine G wishes to prove his innocence and get released earlier. Generally, this film shows a group of men with different personalities and backgrounds trying to cooperate, have fun and create something meaningful to them. We experience a true rollercoaster of emotions with the group, from excitement to anger, from frustration to grief, which seems to be therapeutical to the prisoners. It’s quite extraordinary to me – this whole concept of rehabilitation through art. Don’t get me wrong, I believe it’s amazing, yet using art, which is free and unlimited, while working with people in prison, often with no hope for leaving this place… those are two opposites that somehow match, at least in this story. I think the pace of the film could have been a bit different, but in the end I find it worth seeing. Watching all those characters who finally have some purpose and goal to achieve, who use art to speak about the things that are difficult to say – it’s somehow moving. Find a moment for “Sing Sing” and I hope you’ll also enjoy their main song as much as I did.
My rating: 6/10
S.
I have nothing to watch 