Growing up in the shadow of our criminal justice system
For the past year, Muralla Media Works has been producing a documentary that chronicles the lives of youth under the shadow of American justice. Contrary to popular opinion, the reality of our system of mass incarceration is that being locked in a cell or placed on probation are only two tools in the criminal justice system’s arsenal, which is designed to intimidate and control certain communities. This is not primarily a story about guilt or innocence, crime or punishment; from metal detectors in schools to frequent court hearings for minor offenses, patrol cars idling on street corners to unlawful searches, the ongoing presence of the justice system infuses every aspect of life for youth in resource-starved communities. One of the central figures of Control is Luther, a 17-year-old from the Bronx who was charged with two felonies in an incident that he neither witnessed nor participated in. The documentary follows him and his friends, family, advocates, and public defender, as they try to navigate a system that is unbelievably complicated—a system that they struggle to even understand, let alone cope with.
Watch the short trailer for Control here, and you can learn more at the film’s website, which features a production blog.
CONTROL: A Feature Documentary
Growing up in the shadow of our criminal justice system
For the past year, Muralla Media Works has been producing a documentary that chronicles the lives of youth under the shadow of American justice. Contrary to popular opinion, the reality of our system of mass incarceration is that being locked in a cell or placed on probation are only two tools in the criminal justice system’s arsenal, which is designed to intimidate and control certain communities. This is not primarily a story about guilt or innocence, crime or punishment; from metal detectors in schools to frequent court hearings for minor offenses, patrol cars idling on street corners to unlawful searches, the ongoing presence of the justice system infuses every aspect of life for youth in resource-starved communities. One of the central figures of Control is Luther, a 17-year-old from the Bronx who was charged with two felonies in an incident that he neither witnessed nor participated in. The documentary follows him and his friends, family, advocates, and public defender, as they try to navigate a system that is unbelievably complicated—a system that they struggle to even understand, let alone cope with.
Watch the short trailer for Control here, and you can learn more at the film’s website, which features a production blog.