:
Mary Alice,
Mary Alice,
Glenn Close,
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:
Judith Katz,
Judith Katz,
Madeleine Gavin,
more...
see all cast/crew...
: Not Rated
: PBS Home Video
: Documentary, Political & Social Issues, Women in Prison
: 80 min.
: English
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This title is currently out of print.
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The documentary What I Want My Words to Do to You offers a look at some actual rehabilitation at a women's maximum security prison. Directors Judith Katz, Madeleine Gavin, and Gary Sunshine used high-definition video cameras to capture an emotional reformation process for several incarcerated women. Activist and playwright Eve Ensler (The Vagina Monologues) conducted a writing workshop at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in New York. Some of the inmates were serving long sentences, including some members of the Vietnam war-era radical political group the Weather Underground. The convicts were asked to contemplate their crime and assess possibilities for their future, even if that means life imprisonment. After the workshop, the stories were then performed by actors with the entire prison population as the audience. The personal stories of the inmates shared a common theme of painful truths and acceptance. What I Want My Words to Do to You won the Freedom of Expression Award at the the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Special Features:
- Additional full-length performances by the featured actors
- Interviews with Eve Ensler and Judith Katz
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| Paying Their Debts
by talltale
March 20, 2005 - 7:01 AM PST
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2 out of 2 members found this review helpful
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WHAT I WANT MY WORDS TO DO TO YOU documents a women's prison in New York and the workshop run there by Eve Ensler ("The Vagina Monologs") and attended by the prisoners and actresses such as Mary Alice, Glenn Close, Rosie Perez, Marissa Tomei and others. While the actresses are fine, it's the prisoners who truly command your attention. And deserve it. After watching this film, I can better believe that people can change--and that they truly want to. Whatever these women did (and believe me, they appear to treat their crimes as grievously serious), they are paying in spades and coming to terms with life in a way most of us cannot imagine.
The most surprising and moving thing about this documentary is how each woman is taking advantage of anything and everything life can offer in a prison--then putting this to work to better herself and society. After viewing this one, I doubt you will be able to look at some "famous" criminals such as Kathy Boudin and Pamela Smart in quite the same way. And the other women (less famous but equally worthwhile) offer sharp and profound perspectives on their situation. Listening to them and seeing them is eye-opening and mind-expanding in surprising ways. This documentary is a must, and the concluding monolog (written by one of the most talented of the prisoners) is an amazing piece of work. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 6.13)
15 Votes
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