Official Trailer for ‘The 50’ Doc About Prisoners Becoming Counselors
by Alex Billington
April 5, 2024
Source: YouTube
“Use that energy to do what you need to do for our community.” LvL Film has revealed an official trailer for a documentary film titled The 50, made by filmmaker Brenton Gieser as his first feature film. While serving life sentences in a dangerously overcrowded and drug-saturated prison system, 50 men embark on a radical journey to become some of the first incarcerated Substance Abuse Counselors. 85% of the prison population has an active substance use disorder or were incarcerated for a crime involving drugs or drug use – which is why this story and this program is so important. This is being released during “Second Chance Month”, a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction, and unlock second-chance opportunities for people who have completed their sentences to become contributing citizens. The doc premiered at the 2022 DOC NYC Film Festival, and it will be available to watch on VOD next week. Looks incredibly powerful and inspiring, a rare look at real optimism and actual positive change.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Brenton Gieser’s doc film The 50, direct from YouTube:
While serving life sentences in a dangerously overcrowded and drug-saturated prison system, 50 men embark on a radical journey to become some of the first incarcerated Substance Abuse Counselors in the country. The 50 is a powerful study on trauma and repair, a universal look at the long and winding road to heal, and an exploration into how the most discounted among us built one of the most powerful models of rehabilitation we have. The 50 is a documentary film directed by the Korean-American indie filmmaker Brenton Gieser, making his feature directorial debut after a few other short films previously. Produced by Traci Lewis, Brenton Gieser, Estevan Padilla, Audrey Gloeckner-Kalousek, and Colette Kessler. This initially premiered at the 2022 DOC NYC Film Festival, and it also played at the 2023 Santa Barbara Film Festival. LvL Films will debut Gieser’s The 50 doc in select US theaters + on VOD starting on April 9th, 2024 this spring. April is also “Second Chance Month” in the US. For more info on the doc, visit the film’s official site.
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