Set entirely inside Folsom State Prison, The Work follows three men during four days of intensive group therapy with convicts, revealing an intimate and powerful portrait of authentic human transformation that transcends what we think of as rehabilitation.
Set inside a single room in Folsom Prison, follow three men from outside as they participate in a four-day group therapy retreat with level-four convicts. Over the four days, each man in the room takes his turn at delving deep into his past. The raw and revealing process that the incarcerated men undertake exceeds the expectations of the free men, ripping them out of their comfort zones and forcing them to see themselves and the prisoners in unexpected ways. A powerful and rare look past the cinder block walls, steel doors and the dehumanizing tropes in our culture to reveal a movement of change and redemption that transcends what we think of as rehabilitation.
Jairus McLeary (Director) is a Legal Videographer from Chicago who began with shooting video ethnography in college; subjects in their natural setting, in order to experience, interpret, and represent culture and society. The experience motivated him to make his first film, The Work after years of participation inside Folsom’s Circles.
Gethin Aldous (Co-Director) has been a professional TV and Film director for 15 years. He is based in NYC and currently directs motion capture for a major video game company. This is his second feature length doc. He works with prisoners at Folsom and other prisons throughout the country in his spare time.
