Festival Films
Directed By: Manuela Dalle
Running Time: 73 minutes
60 km north of Los Angeles, choreographer Dimitri Chamblas works in a maximum-security prison, preparing a show with a group of 10 inmates, all serving lengthy sentences. In prison, where toxic masculinity reigns, dancing is an absolute taboo and a powerful gesture. In this exceptional context, the inmates open up with overwhelming sincerity, talking about their childhoods, gangs, crime, prison, and their desire for transformation and evolution. Looking beyond the damaged lives and the prison system on the brink of collapse, Dancing in A-yard offers a glimpse into the ability of every human being to reinvent themselves, given the chance.
