Bbc world service the documentary podcast downloads. Documentary about new york citys islandjail complex. Greece festival title lykeio rikers, i teleftaia efkairia. As 80 viewers packed into a classroom at the yale law school on friday evening, former inmates detailed their experiences in a film that criticized conditions at rikers island, a new york city correctional facility. For the first time in an extended documentary former detainees at rikers island talk directly into camera about their experience in new york citys largest and most notorious jail. A look at the students and teachers of island academy the high school for inmates of rikers island. Watch rikers high 57min documentary aggelos andreou on. Browder was 16 years old when he was wrongfully accused of stealing a backpack in 2010. Martin was sitting on the front stoop of his apartment building minding his own business when he was arrested for something he didnt even mean to do. Rikers high is a 2005 american and french documentary film directed by victor buhler.
Martin is transferred to a part of rikers where inmates must attend high school. This film from bill moyers is the first documentary to focus exclusively on people formerly detained in new york citys notorious rikers island jail and give them the opportunity to tell their. Ride with funk master flex cameraman shot cars being taken apart and getting redesigned unplanned action shots, personal interviews with artist. Rikers high, on the other hand, did it without flair or real concern over what was happening.
Nyc to close notorious rikers jail complex usa today. Five months after his arrest, 17yearold martin stokes is still waiting on rikers island for his sentencing. And five months later, he is still locked up in jail on infamous rikers island. Kaliefs background, from his mothers poverty to his felony conviction for joyriding, works against him during a fateful deposition. As a public school teacher since 1992, i watched this documentary with much interest. These are just words that have no meaning unless you read this book.
Rikers is the first documentary to tell the stories of the infamous jail solely through the voices of those who have spent years there. Rikers high follows a year in the life of three boys studying in new york citys most extreme high school. Rikers, a riveting documentary from bill moyers, brings you face to face with men and women who have survived incarceration at rikers island. It is one of the worlds largest corrections and mental institutions and has been called the worlds largest penal colony. Gr 8 upmartin stokes is awaiting trial at rikers island, a new york city correctional facility. The book rikers high, by paul volponi is a great book and its about a guy named martin. The house i live in is a documentary fusion of the ideas forwarded by michelle alexander scholarship and david simons dramatizations. Documentary about new york citys islandjail complex represents what rikers truly is nov 14, 2016, 3.
The largest correctional facility in north america. I did not like this book, and would find few ya readers to recommend it to. Rikers documentary screened at festival yale daily news. Rare is the reader who wont find his narrative sobering. Brought to you by al jazeeras excellent documentary series fault lines, women behind bars ventures into the central california.
Schooled behind bars victor buhler is director of the documentary rikers high, which profiles teens at a high school that doubles as a youth prison at new york citys notorious. Rikers high 2005 stream and watch online moviefone. A documentary series about kalief browder, a bronx high school student who spent three years on rikers island without a trial, will premiere wednesday night on spike. Volponi, who taught on rikers island for six years, writes with an authenticity that will make readers feel martins fear. The first time the youth, come a new york, them tellin you, you mustnt. Rikers island prison school, in new york city i do not own this documentary for educational purposes only youtube kingme347 for more videos. I feel that even a younger audience would see through the skimpy characterization and general lack of interesting incidents to keep the plot moving forward. An american jail is a powerful catalyst to help people think about the human toll of of mass incarceration and the brutal conditions that persist in jails across the country. Rikers, a film by bill moyers, premieres across the country on various pbs stations in. Hes scarred forever, but one good thing comes from the attack. Request a free screening dvd and download a discussion guide.
Rikers is a production of schumann media center, inc. Produced by marc levin and mark benjamin, with producer rolake bamgbose. Author paul volponi taught adolescents at rikers island for six years, and he notes in a foreword that while the characters are fictitious, most of what. Rikers is an island of weary confinement and elaborate euphemisma place where, though there are many prisoners in a jail under the eyes of guards, those three words are never spoken. This film from bill moyers is the first documentary to focus exclusively on people formerly detained in new york citys notorious rikers island jail and give them the opportunity to tell their compelling stories, direct to camera. The kalief browder story, a sixpart documentary series on spike, tells the story of mr. It is a true portrait of the upside down reality that is rikers. Volponis punchy, journalistic prose runs the gamut of emotions, propelling readers.
The main reason he doesnt want to be involved with either of these things because his goal is to get off rikers and move back home to his family as life on rikers is much harder. A riveting journey, these former drug runners and armed robbers attend poetry classes and more, all hoping to graduate into a new life. Hes picked up a few things during that time, including some ged coursework, many observations about the inequality of the justice system and a scar on his cheek from a slashing razor blade. The kalief browder story features a townhall discussion on criminal justice reform with producers jay z and harvey weinsten as well. Lessons, poetry workshops and varsity sports all take place behind eight rows of ribbon fence.
Rikers high 2005 inside new york citys notorious rikers island, some 2,000 inmates under the age of 18 are required to attend the prisons school, island academy. There are 2000 juvenile offenders at the infamous rikers island prison. The film captures their vivid memories, revealing the violent arc of the rikers experience. Bill moyers introduces the film rikers rikers video. Of the more than 7,500 people detained at rikers jail on any given day, almost 80. A harrowing portrait exploring the lives of three teens educated at the island academy, a high school program for incarcerated youth at rikers island prison. Rikers high first published in 2002 as rikers was the first book published by volponi and the last one for me to read. Supposedly named after abraham rycken, who bought the island in 1664, the island was originally under 100 acres 40 ha in size, but has since grown to more than 400 acres 160 ha. The academys hope is that education will lessen the shocking rates of recidivism. It was more of a documentary type book rather than an intense story. It has also been ranked as one of the 10 worst jails in america. Simon appears in the film and describes the assault on poor communities of colour as a holocaust in slow motion. With plans to shutter rikers, the city will build four new jails, a chance to address penal reform and make jails safer. Rapper jayz, who met with browder after his release, coproduced this revealing documentary series.
Refusing to plead guilty, kalief endures the brutality of rikers islands adolescent unit, including. Rikers high opens with martin being cut in the face with a razor, and the story builds tension around whether or not he will seek revenge for the attack and jeopardize his chance for release. With andre blandon, millie grant, john hopson, shawn johnson. Usa 23 april 2005 tribeca film festival greece 16 march 2006 thessaloniki documentary festival also known as aka original title rikers high. Rikers high also known as lykeio rikers is a 2005 american and french documentary film directed by victor buhler. Filmmakers follow three inmatestudents at the prison high school of new york citys rikers island penitentiary. Create marketing content that resonates with prezi video. Browder, who spent years on rikers island without being convicted of a crime. This film from bill moyers is the first documentary to focus exclusively on people formerly detained in new york citys notorious rikers island jail and give them the. I wanted to see how the experiences of these captive students and their. Just when things couldnt get worse, martin gets caught in a fight between two prisoners, and his face is slashed. The film looks at island academy the high school for inmates of rikers island, the largest correctional facility in north america. A graphic and unblinking documentary portrait of life inside americas largest prison complex.
In 2015, kalief browder, a young black man, died by suicide after spending years in pretrial detention and solitary confinement on new yorks rikers island. Victor buhler is director of the documentary rikers high, which profiles teens at a high school that doubles as a youth prison at new york citys. Captivating and powerful study was directed by victor buhler. Woah momma, woah pappa, you should have seen your little son. Yes, martin did learn a lot of valuable lessons and overcame a lot of struggles he faced at rikers high but the story carried on for too long. Rikers high 2005 stream and watch online inside new york citys notorious rikers island, some 2,000 inmates under the age of 18 are required to attend the prisons school, island academy. This series traces the tragic case of kalief browder, a bronx teen who spent three horrific years in jail, despite never being convicted of a crime.
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