PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: INSIDE MEDIA: OWN'S DOCUMENTARY CLUB: SERVING LIFE (LONG VERSION)
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's Inside Media events. Held at the Paley Center in Los Angeles, this evening examines “Serving Life,” a documentary film about prisoners at Louisiana State Penitentiary who volunteer with the jail’s hospice program. Host Betsy Scolnik (vice president, The Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles) offers opening remarks and then introduces Lisa Erspamer (executive vice-president of production and development, Oprah Winfrey Network), who talks briefly about the fledgling network’s Documentary Club and then introduces the film, which is then screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 106230.)
After the film, host Stuart Levine (managing editor, Daily Variety) introduces the panelists: executive producer Nick Stuart; producer, writer and director Lisa R. Cohen; and executive producer and narrator Forest Whitaker.
The conversation touches on such topics as: Cohen’s creation of a six-minute footage reel that inspired Whitaker to make the film; her work on a previous documentary about the death penalty; the choice of Louisiana State Penitentiary, housing of “the worst of the worst” criminals, many of whom are on death row; the network’s surprised reaction to the seemingly low-security treatment of the prisoners in the footage; the “unique” warden Burt Cain and his work in reforming the prison; the prominent themes of compassion and redemption; Stuart’s interest in the story; the process of interviewing longtime volunteers and following the journey of several new recruits; the challenges of shooting multiple prisoners’ stories with one camera; whittling five hundred total hours of footage down to a 90-minute film; whether they were afraid to depict the prisoners as “too sympathetic” despite their crimes; the men’s transformation and portrayal as human rather than “monstrous”; their desire to avoid discussing their crimes in detail, especially when pursuing ongoing cases; the nurses’ role in knowing both the patients’ and volunteers’ histories; how the volunteers’ lives are “defined by taking a life” and then reexamined through their work; the significance of convicted murderers helping others to die with dignity; how the film causes viewers as well as the filmmakers to consider their own mortality; Cain’s efforts to make the prison “an example to society” in terms of helping others; the prison’s former violent reputation and its change under Cain’s direction; the prisoners’ and guards’ emotional reaction to seeing the film; the process through which prisoners are selected as volunteers; the need for Whitaker’s narration at the beginning of the film to provide background; and whether the filmmakers ever felt themselves to be in danger in the prison, including during a blackout.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics: the prisoners’ motivation in joining the hospice program, including one man’s desire to find “purpose” in his life; the hospice nurses and their ability to suspend their judgment in helping criminals; their desire to heal and help others regardless of their past; and the network’s interested in a film that depicted honest compassion without being “too nice.”
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: July 25, 2011 7:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:04:54
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 106162
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Betsy Scolnik … Host
- Stuart Levine … Moderator
- Lisa Erspamer … Guest
- Forest Whitaker … Panelist
- Nick Stuart … Panelist
- Lisa R. Cohen … Panelist
- Burt Cain