Beyond Wriezen

A prison sentence often defines the direction of life for a young convict. Languishing within four walls for several years, one starts to evaluate things in a completely new way. The documentary film by Daniel Abma follows the lives of three former inmates after they have been released from the East German prison, Wriezen. Initially, the men in their twenties  have big plans to live within the law. One of the men starts a family with his loved one. However, not everyone's life is set on a new path but instead leads back into criminal activities. The humane film treats its subjects with compassionate warmth, simultaneously revealing something about the essence of being human.
Paavo Ihalainen | translation by Asta Mykkänen (DocPoint)