Andrew Jarecki

But now you can see it on airplanes and things.

So it's just getting more into people's consciousness.

You know, the men who are in prison and the people who are depicted in our film are so extraordinary.

And, you know, one of the things that is so difficult about people being in prison and us not being able to see in is that you can't see the brutality, you can't see the terrible things that are happening, but you also can't see the beauty in these men.

And these are guys who have been locked up for decades for crimes they probably never should have been locked up for before to start with.

And so...

we have this opportunity to see inside in a way that is completely unique.

And a lot of people are just saying to me when they see the film or to Charlotte, my co-director, they'll say, this is kind of the first time I ever feel like I was in a conversation with an incarcerated person.

Like, just being able to talk to those people.

And there's so much propaganda.

And, of course, there are people in prison who are Jeffrey Dahmer and maybe not redeemable or mentally ill.

But there are so many people in prison who have just been there for decades when they committed a crime when they were 18.

And now they're an ordained minister and they're, you know, have a college degree from being in prison.

You know...

So it's a loss of humanity.

It's a really frightening thing.

But you're seeing it now in our daily lives.

You know, what was happening in Minneapolis and the way that Alex Preddy was really murdered for having a cell phone, for using a cell phone, and that Chrissy Noem had to come out and say that he was brandishing a weapon.

And this is exactly what these men are doing.

And it's exactly what any authoritarian organization, the U.S.