In 1997, filmmaker Jonathan Stack and colleagues Liz Garbus and Wilbert Rideau released “The Farm: Life Inside Angola Prison,” an acclaimed film The New York Times called “a discreetly searing documentary,” which earned an Oscar® nomination for Best Documentary Feature and the top honor, the Grand Jury Prize, at the Sundance Film Festival. The original film, which can be seen in its entirety at natgeotv.com/farm, documented life inside the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola — commonly known as The Farm — with a notable lack of sentimentality and melodrama, even as it presented the violent and morally ambiguous perspectives of six “lifer” inmates.
Now, the National Geographic Channel (NGC) has the privilege of presenting the world premiere of the powerfully emotional two-hour sequel, A Decade Behind Bars: Return to the Farm, on Tuesday, June 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. For the last 10 years, filmmaker Jonathan Stack has continued to chronicle life and the surprising changes inside Angola, which is now an increasingly self-sustaining agricultural community that boasts five new churches and its own inmate-run TV and radio stations.
The two-hour special captures pivotal moments and personal revelations from those incarcerated and recently freed, their family members, and, in one case, the alleged victims. Of the six inmates portrayed in the first film, only four are still living (one died of lung cancer; the other was executed). The intimate and candid words and images of the remaining four powerfully reflect the struggle and humanity that these convicted criminals face behind bars and on the streets.
Will they accept culpability? Have they been transformed?
Gather is searching for five reviewers to receive a DVD copy of the documentary to review before it premieres on NGC. For your chance to become a reviewer, tell us in the comment field below why this topic fascinates you. Comments must be posted by Thursday, June 4th. Reviews must be posted to the Entertainment Essential on Gather by Monday, June 15th.
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Comments: 51
I would love to be a reviewer for this
I love watching National Geographic special and this one seems very interesting to me
I always watch these kind of shows on A&E and Discovery and I love them!!! This is right down my line of interest!
i would love to review this
I would like to review this, I think it is very interesting the the pratices they use at this prision, and how they effect the inmates, and the public outside.
I love to watch shows like this. But since I no longer get cable...and this new HD only lets me get two channels in. I feel I am missing out on a world of knowledge. I would love to see how a prison substains its self by farm and church. maybe it is lessen more prisons in the USA need to learn.
I would love to watch and review this, not because I have heard of this before but because I haven't and I would like to know more about it. I really enjoy watching documentaries.
I have a bachelor's in Criminology and a background in working with criminals and also the mentally ill. This would be interesting.
Sounds very interesting
I would love to review this dvd because we have such a free life system here and peoples rights are first and formost. I cannot even imagine in a country such as this the atrocities that go on! As I age I have slowed down and listen. I see alot more now than I would have years ago.
When I watch NATGEO now I cannot believe stories I heard of long ago are as intense as they are now! Years ago I wouldn't even watch a National Geographic special and now I live for them.
For instance the movie Hotel Riwanda was a cinematic masterpiece! THe tyrrany that goes on in other countries just blows me away. I want to take people and pull them by their collars and say ," Dont you see what is going on here?"
Yes my children stay far far away from me when I am watching something like this!
I would love to review it!
For instance the movie Hotel Riwanda was a cinematic masterpiece! THe tyrrany that goes on in other countries just blows me away. I want to take people and pull them by their collars and say ," Dont you see what is going on here?"
Norene, that was an amazing movie!
My degree is in Psychology and I worked in the mental health profession for 14+ years with those coming out of institutions. I have always been interested in the experiences of those individuals who have endured incarceration and how it has impacted them as they return to society.
Oh sure kiss up.
I seem to be drawn to shows like this, I'd lke to review it.
I would enjoy viewing and reviewing this documentary. I've had a long time interest in the psychological make up of offenders and believe that the goals of incarceration should be protection of an innocent populace and rehabilitation rather than revenge.
To be completely honest, I don't really know WHY this topic fascinates me, but I do know that it does and I'd be highly interested in viewing and reviewing this.
I am watching the Biography channel now. Different people and topics. Just got hooked about 6 months ago. I am not a writer or Scholar, but if I may tell my thoughts in my own way. {positive} I will review the DVD gladly.
Musicians have been telling the tale of Angola's horrors for years. Like lead Belly, Freddy Fender, Robert Pete Williams, Aaron and Charles Neville, James Booker and rapper Juvenile. These are just a handful of people who have mentioned Angola in their works and I would love to learn more about this particular prison and it would be my privlage to be able to review this DVD documentary.
And since Angola is the home of Gruesome Gertie and that Warden Burl Cain used wolves and bears to help guard the grounds I would most definitely find this interesting.
I would love to review this. I find the prison system very interesting - they are all run so differently in different areas, with varying levels of success. I like the idea of a prison being self-sustaining, and would be curious to see the outcome of this type of prison. Does it really teach the inmates responsibility?
I can't honestly say that this topic fascinates me--but that's why I would love to review it--I don't know enough about it to make a judgement call, and this is something my husband and I would watch and debate together.
This topic fascinates me because I grew up in Louisiana. When I was a young girl, the evening years carried a story about young black man who was executed at Angola. They showed footage of him talking to the cameras and with his mother. His final meal was a variety of candy bars. By the time the news carried the story, he was already dead.
An additional reason I would like to see this documentary and be able to review it for gather is that I saw the first one several years ago, and would be willing to rewatch it.
Both my husband and I could watch both. I would not only review the new documentary but compare and contrast the currents that run through the both. I would write the article from my perspective but also include bonus commentary from my husband.
I would like to review it!!
it sounds interesting.
I enjoy watching educational television that is informative and tells me new information that I don't already know now.
I would be honored to review this video. It relates to the full-length play I'm currently writing about imprisonment. This video would be great research for my in process piece.
I would be interested in reviewing "A Decade Behind Bars: Return to the Farm" because of my background in law and politics as well as my personal experiences. Much of my family are in law enforcement, the military and work as prison guards. On the other hand, one of my dearest friends and a cousin were incarcerated for years. This National Geographic special covers all sides of the story and explores possible solutions to an age-old problem.
one of my sons has been in and out of prison for a total of 10 years,(one third of his life)........this book sounds interesting......
oops, "video".....sorry....
This sounds extremely fascinating to me! I would love to hear all aspects of why they are there, how it has affected them and their families. Especially being in another facility type. It would be amazing to see how different the 'systems' are.
I would be interested in reviewing the DVD. I'm not sure that we get the channel with our cable, or I've not heard of it. As a homeschool mom this would be great (even thought public school is out) to sit and watch with my daughters and get their thoughts too. They both like the true ife documentaries. There is also a very personal reason why a documentary on a prison would be very interesting and informative for my family.
I don't have cable so, unlike everyone I know, I won't be able to see it on the National Geographic Channel. I actually saw something on this prison long ago, and it really stuck with me, mostly because they provided their own food through the farming that they do. Also, for anyone who isn't really familiar with prisons, it was a shocking look at what life was really like. I am not sure where I saw it..."60 Minutes" is my best guess.
I think it's good for Americans to have their eyes opened to what prison life is really like. It's easy to sit back and criticize ciminal behavior, to say that criminals "deserve" any punishment they receive. The humanity of a society is measured not just against how the best are treated, but also how the worst are. The conditions of our prisons and the treatment of prisoners--whether it's Gitmo or Angola--say a lot about us as a nation.
I'm not entering this one, as I just won the crime books. If you win, Christine, though, maybe you'll let me borrow it?
I am happy to share the wealth if I win.
I watch all the crime shows I can - from the victim's POV, from the perpetrator's POV. I love the little behind the scenes information I get from them, and I love, love, love NATGEO! Of course, I'd have to refresh my memory of the first one, but that's not really much of a hardship. LOL Having some semi-realistic visual of what actually goes on in a prison is educational for me, and makes me think.
I'd do it, but I think you have enough people signed up. Keep me in mind for the next one though please.
I would love to have the chance to see this. It sounds fasinating to see how they lived, what happened in their lives!
Pick me, pick me! I'd love to review this film for the following reasons:
1. I've worked in juvenile detention centers and I am very interested in seeing the progression to adult detention centers.
2. I've heard this is the worst prison to be in and I'm curious to see the film.
3. I've seen every episode of Prison Break!
4. I'm opinionated and would write a good review.
I would love to write a review about this book I read constantly and am always looking for any kind of book to read. I do a lot of reviews of books at gather and am very use to writing reviews for them. I actually just did one on the Nora Roberts Trilogy I read a few weeks ago you can probably find this review in my posts . I think its a fascinating subject and would love a chance to win this great book , thank you for giving me a chance to do this.
I would love to do this review. I have a law degree and a Bachelor's in Government and I always focused on criminal law. I took classes on victimless crimes, the death penalty and justice so I think that would give me a good perspective. Also, my whole family other than myself are from Louisiana so I feel that connection as well.
I have a criminal justice and pre law degree. Since I am from southeast Louisiana I have been to this prison as part of the law class. I have been inside the buildings, even viewed the old building that houses the electric chair.
I would love to review this video and give my input as I have already been to the pass and maybe give some first handed accts.
The myth and reality of Angola and the effects it had and has on those who are touched by life there are part of the fabric of the American south, really, and there's a lot of music and history woven into that. For those reasons, and because I've worked as a television producer and know what goes into making a film like this, I'd like to receive a review copy of the program.
I have two family members who have spent a great deal of time, behind bars. One being my one and only son. The other being my brother who is still on parole, until next March. This would be a very difficult movie for me to watch but I'm sure I would learn a great deal and would like to be considered for this viewing.
I live in Louisiana where Angola is our dirty little secret. Only its not so secret. I would like to view this documentary because I am fascinated by what I fear most, the loss of my freedom. I used to be a contractor for the US government and had to get fingerprinted. It was done by the US Marshall, at the courthouse. We had to go past the holding cells, and I was petrified, even though they were empty. All things concerning the criminal justice system, and in particular the criminal mind and treatment of criminals has always been of great interest to me. I watch documentaries on the subject and took many college courses on the subject matter.
I come from a family with quite a few criminals. Some have done only a few stints in for DUI,a nd some have been in and out for most of their lives. I've always wondered about what being institutionalized does to a person, and have wondered if there is a way for them to have a relevent existance while being incarcerated. I am also going back to school in the fall to pursue a degree in Criminal Justice, and I think this will be beneficial to me to watch. Even if I'm not selected, I'll still watch the documentary when it premieres.
I would be interested in watching and review this documentary. I've worked in a prison, and being there made me rethink many of the views I held about corrections and law enforcement. That wasn't easy for a cop's kid.
Oh I missed this one :( I would of liked to review this one. With the foundation I am always interested in prisons, what happens, and so forth.
Darn I missed the deadline for this one. I would love to review it.
I wish I hadn't missed this one, too. But I can watch it on television.
I so wish I hadn't have missed this one. What no email till its over. Bummer! But I would love to watch it and review it. Got one left over?
I missed this one too - didn't get the email until today! Would have loved to watch and review this. Will watch for it on television. I lived in Florida when they executed Ted Bundy and was there when there was another serial killer ... and am now in Washington - Gerry Ridgeway / Green River Killer. So serial killers have always intrigued me... I've met Ann Rule (and her daughter) and their writing I have always enjoyed.
My hubby and I love to watch Forensic Files and criminal shows.
I have taken some criminal law courses through a paralegal program when I was a community college instructor (got to take them for $5/course so couldn't resist).
Too bad I missed this opportunity!