In this SXSW Festival Favorite award-winner, a theatre group finds hope and meaning through self-expression within the confines of a maximum-security prison.

To pass the days while locked up, Divine G spearheads the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program, staging Shakespeare productions with other incarcerated men and their director, Brent Buell. When inmate Divine Eye joins the group, their artistic harmony is at first tested by his inability to fully embrace vulnerability. But Divine Eye’s suggestion to turn to comedy sparks ideas and enthusiasm from fellow members, and slowly, the two Divines form a friendship that is as much of a life raft as the program that brought them together.

Inspired by a real-life rehabilitation initiative at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York, Greg Kwedar’s second feature is anchored on a stellar performance from Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo as Divine G. He’s joined by a cast of non-professionals who themselves found solace in the program, including the commanding Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin. An eight-year labour of love, the project saw Kwedar and co-writer Clint Bentley undertake research by volunteering as teachers for RTA sessions. The resulting film’s power lies not just in its authenticity but in its warmth: a compassionate eye for depicting real experiences, empathetic performances and a 16mm glow that subverts the clinical renditions of life behind bars so regularly seen onscreen.

“One of the year’s most powerful works … The performances are incredible across the board.” – Mashable