Key Masculinity Documentary: The Feminist on Cellblock Y
SYNOPSIS:
A convicted felon builds a feminist movement from behind bars at an all-male prison in Soledad, California. Source: CNN
The documentary, follows a group of convicted felons as they wrestle with toxic masculinity as a means of rehabilitation.
In a piece she wrote for poynter.org. Emma Lacey-Bordeaux,one of filmmaker of The Feminist on Cellblock Y, shares about her experience while making the movie:
“Last summer, Contessa Gayles, a brilliant photojournalist at CNN, and Eric Day a talented freelance sound guy, and I hopped a plane and rolled up to the white-washed three-story prison that is the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad.”
“We returned over the course of several weeks, capturing the men having the most revealing and powerful conversations, scenes captured in our documentary.”
Credit: CNN | The Feminist on Cellblock Y
According to Emma Lacey-Bordeaux: the film was challenging to produce:
“(The documentary) took about 18 months to report. We shot over the span of several months and juggled the logistics required for filming in a prison, including a brief lockdown.”
- Emma Lacey-Bordeaux is a row editor at CNN based in Washington, D.C.
- Contessa Gayles is a Video Journalist & Documentary Filmmaker at CNN