In conversations about prison, people often mistake punishment for justice. Instead of investing in prevention, repair and healing, the carceral system often doubles down on violence. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
In collaborating on “Prison and Time,” the short film above, we melded expressive animations with personal testimony of incarceration to explore how time itself can nurture growth and even offer a kind of freedom. Along with an indictment of prison’s destructiveness, this is an invitation to imagine and advocate for a radically different yet possible world — one that cherishes both time and life.
Marvin Wade is a writer, speaker, spiritual activist and family man based in Brooklyn, N.Y. His essay that inspired this film was originally published on Project Mend. Evan Bode is an independent filmmaker, animator, educator and interdisciplinary artist based in Colorado.
The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here’s our email: [email protected].
Op-Docs is a forum for short, opinionated documentaries by independent filmmakers. Learn more about Op-Docs and how to submit to the series.
Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, WhatsApp and Threads.
The post Befriending Time Changed My Life appeared first on New York Times.
