this film is not meant to inform. if we want to learn about mass incarceration we would read the new jim crow. the prison in twelve landscapes takes advantage of the film medium by engendering empathy and letting the audience understand systemic problems by making them feel how even those outside of prison suffer from the current system. 13th, which explores similar topics, is very informative but it lacks the personal element that this film has. this film has meditative and abstract qualities similar to leviathan that allow us to internalize what we witness and leaves room for interpretation. it may not tie up all the knots but as a result it leaves the audience with provocative questions. this is all done without ever entering a prison, although ending with a shot of attica reminds us how large these institutions loom over our society.
this film is not meant to inform. if we want to learn about mass incarceration we would read the new jim crow. the prison in twelve landscapes takes advantage of the film medium by engendering empathy and letting the audience understand systemic problems by making them feel how even those outside of prison suffer from the current system. 13th, which explores similar topics, is very informative but it lacks the personal element that this film has. this film has meditative and abstract qualities similar to leviathan that allow us to internalize what we witness and leaves room for interpretation. it may not tie up all the knots but as a result it leaves the audience with provocative questions. this is all done without ever entering a prison, although ending with a shot of attica reminds us how large these institutions loom over our society.
