Commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination with Amnesty International at USC! Come along to our Meaningful Movie night for a free screening of Prison Songs. Prison Songs is a ground-breaking documentary that gives voice to incarcerated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the most extraordinary way – through song.
Shot entirely behind bars, this funny, yet achingly sad, account of eventful lives is delivered via the musical performances of real inmates. The film features a number of male and female prisoners, each with their own past. Common themes emerge linking the tales – family violence, drugs and alcohol. The stories portrayed in the film expose the real tragedy behind the shockingly high prison rates of Aboriginal people – the poverty, disadvantage and discrimination, faced by many Aboriginal communities.
Prison Songs presents a unique opportunity to shift the conversation about reducing over-imprisonment of Aboriginal people, through focusing on providing better supports and services that address the underlying reasons why people come into contact with the criminal justice system in the first place.
Prison Songs takes the audience on a journey where the lives of strangers unfold. The close connection with inmates at Berrimah awakens a real empathy with audiences’ hearts. In doing so, the songs and storytelling in Prison Songs becomes the vital fuel needed to spark positive action.
Snacks and drinks will be provided by Amnesty International USC! A guest speaker from AIME will provide insight on their mentoring program that gives Indigenous high school students the opportunities to finish school at the same rate as their peers.
