Prison-set Sing Sing makes powerful argument for humanity [Video]

A film like “Sing Sing” is a rare, precious thing. An artifact crafted with the utmost care, this is a cinematic work of unique empathy, a slice of hand-turned humanity, hewn from the heart, with rigorous attention paid to the process itself.

How this quietly captivating film was made is almost the more important story, but it is part and parcel with the text on screen. “Sing Sing” is the result of years of research and volunteer work on behalf of writer/director Greg Kwedar and his co-writer Clint Bentley with Rehabilitation Through the Arts, a theater program for incarcerated men at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. Kwedar and Bentley tried to mount a narrative film project about RTA, but never managed to capture the magic they experienced in the room itself. So they decided to bring the room itself to the screen, casting a group of RTA alumni alongside stars Colman …