Bianca, Treena, Laura, and Caitlin are a stark reflection of the troubling worldwide tendency to criminalize and imprison the most vulnerable in society—those most affected by poverty, addiction, childhood trauma, and mental illness.
Together with long-time prisoners’ rights advocate Kim Pate and others, these women collaborate with the filmmakers to answer a deceptively simple question: What would you have needed to avoid incarceration? Through art, photography, filmmaking and poetry, the women inside envision a more ideal world on the outside.
Their creative agency emerges as a force that empowers them to chart the course of their own lives, and they become increasingly engaged in making Conviction—not another ‘broken prison’ film, but rather a ‘broken society’ film.
Conviction takes us on a raw and cinematic journey, while making the impassioned argument that we would do better to create communities that heal and support our most vulnerable, rather than punish them further.
One-liner
Conviction envisions alternatives to prison through the eyes of women behind bars and those fighting on the front lines of the decarceration movement.
Synopsis
Conviction envisions alternatives to prison through the eyes of women behind bars and those fighting on the front lines of the decarceration movement. Not another ‘broken prison’ film, this collaboration is a ‘broken society’ film—an ambitious and inspired re-build of our community, from the inside out. The film compels viewers to examine why we imprison the most vulnerable among us, and at what cost.
Offence. Conviction. Imprisonment. Release. Repeat, and repeat. The women featured in this sober, clear-eyed documentary trudge this demoralizing circuit like clockwork. It is questionable, in their cases, what the Canadian corrections system is actually correcting.
Meet Bianca, Treena, Laura, and Caitlin. All are affected by childhood trauma, which has led to chronic health issues and disturbing symptoms including substance abuse, violence, and self-harm. The four are a stark reflection of the troubling worldwide tendency to criminalize and imprison the most vulnerable in society, among whom the rates of addiction and mental illness are shocking.
Together with long-time prisoners’ rights advocate Senator Kim Pate and others, these women collaborate with the filmmakers to answer a deceptively simple question: What would you have needed to avoid incarceration? Through art, photography, filmmaking and poetry, the women inside envision a more ideal world on the outside. Their creative agency emerges as a force that empowers them to chart the course of their own lives, and they become increasingly engaged in making not another ‘broken prison’ film, but rather a ‘broken society’ film.
As they navigate the revolving prison door and its false promise of freedom, the women playfully forge From the Ground Up, a housing community that would offer safety, skills to address their problems, and strategies for functioning in society. Their dreams prove that some of the most viable alternatives may be found in the most unlikely places.
Women are the fastest-growing demographic of Canada’s prison population, and Indigenous women are disproportionately represented in these numbers. The film compels viewers to question the status quo, and takes us on a raw and cinematic journey, making the impassioned argument that we would do better to create communities that heal and support our most vulnerable, rather than punish them further.
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY
NANCE ACKERMAN
ARIELLA PAHLKE
TERESA MACINNES
FEATURING OUR COLLABORATORS
CAITLIN HILL
BIANCA MERCER
TREENA SMITH
LAURA TONEY
TANYA BIGNELL
KIM PATE
PRODUCED BY
TERESA MACINNES
ANNETTE CLARKE
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
NANCE ACKERMAN
LOCATION SOUND RECORDIST
ARIELLA PAHLKE
EDITED BY
NANCE ACKERMAN
TERESA MACINNES
SOUND DESIGN BY
NANCE ACKERMAN
JUDITH GRUBER-STITZER
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY
JUDITH GRUBER-STITZER
ADDITIONAL MUSIC BY
NANCE ACKERMAN
ASHELIN
‘MORE THAN A NUMBER’
WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY MUSICAL COLLABORATORS AT
NOVA INSTITUTION FOR WOMEN
JULES CÔTE
KATELYN GIGGY-SMITH
LUDIVINE LATULIPPE
JODIE MCCULLOCH
KALIYAN PALMER
ANTONIA PIGOT
DIANE POTHIER
DONNA VAUGHAN
VANESSA VENIERIS
ALSO FEATURING
ADDITIONAL COLLABORATORS AT
CENTRAL NOVA SCOTIA CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
CHRISMA DENNY
JENNIFER DEVOUGE
MJ JARVIS
MARY KEEPING
ASHLEY LOPPIE
NATASHA PACE
JEN SIMS
ASHLEY SLAUNWHITE
AND
SUSAN AYLES
CARRIE BEAZLEY
STEPHANIE DUNCAN
SHANNON FERGUSON
MARGARET HILL
DARLENE MACEACHERN
ANNE SINCLAIR
TASHA SMITH
CJ STEVENS
VANYA TRIMPER
STEPHANIE WHITE
VIDEO/STILLS
CAITLIN HILL
BIANCA MERCER
JUDY OBERSI
TREENA SMITH
LAURA TONEY
ADDITIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHY
BECKY PARSONS
TERESA MACINNES
ARIELLA PAHLKE
ANTHONY VON SECK
PRODUCTION MANAGER
MEGAN WENNBERG
PRODUCTION INTERN
JESSICA HIRTLE
TRANSCRIPTION
LISA CLARKE
LOGO DESIGN
MEGAN GREEN
SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT
JUDE MACINNES
RESEARCHERS
NANCE ACKERMAN
TERESA MACINNES
ARIELLA PAHLKE
CONSULTING EDITOR
RICARDO ACOSTA
ASSISTANT EDITORS
MEAGAN BROWN
JORDAN KAWAI
BRAD RIVERS
ADDITIONAL LOCATION SOUND RECORDING
TERESA MACINNES
NANCE ACKERMAN
LOCATION MUSIC RECORDIST
KALIYAN PALMER
MUSIC FACILITATOR
ANTONIA PIGOT
SPOKEN WORD FACILITATOR
EL JONES
ONLINE COLOURIST
DOUG WOODS, 902 POST INC.
ASSISTANT ONLINE EDITOR
ROBERT CARRIGAN
CLOSED CAPTIONING
CARTER THURBER
TITLE DESIGN & ANIMATION
RON MCDOUGALL
LEGAL
ROBERT ASKE
RE-RECORDING
JEAN PAUL VIALARD
ADDITIONAL RE-RECORDING
SHELLEY CRAIG
MUSIC MIXER
FRANCOIS ARBOUR
FOLEY ARTIST
KARLA BAUMGARTNER
DIALOGUE EDITOR
PIERRE-YVES DRAPEAU
STUDIO MAVEN AND ADDITIONAL DIALOGUE EDITOR
TRISTAN CAPACCHIONE
ASSISTANT SOUND EDITOR
SANDY PINTEUS
PRO TOOLS ASSISTANT
EMRE EKICI
ADDITIONAL MUSIC
JAMIE ALCORN
MALIK BEALS hobbi3 muzik
MUSICIANS
JAMIE ALCORN
ALEXIS DUMAIS
SHEILA HANNIGAN
JUDITH GRUBER-STITZER
JONAH FORTUNE
SARAH PAGE
KALIYAN PALMER
VOCALS
NANCE ACKERMAN
LOU BABIN
KIAH-ELLIS DURITY
RHETTA PARNAS
KATHY KENNEDY
DANIELLE SAVAGE
LINDA OREFICE
CASSY PALMER
JOESIE PALMER
KALIYAN PALMER
SHAELIN PALMER
ALEXANDRA TIBBITTS
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
CHERYL MURGATROYD
TECHNICAL COORDINATORS
CHRIS MACINTOSH
DANIEL LORD
DIGITAL EDITING TECHNICIANS
ISABELLE PAINCHAUD
PIERRE DUPONT
PATRICK TRAHAN
SOUND TECHNICIAN
BERNARD BELLEY
PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR
ROZ POWER
STUDIO ADMINISTRATORS
CAMILA BLOS
LESLIE POYNTZ
MARKETING MANAGER
JOHANNA LESSARD
PUBLICIST
PATRICIA DILLON-MOORE
LEGAL COUNSEL
DOMINIQUE AUBRY
PRODUCERS
TERESA MACINNES
ANNETTE CLARKE
DEVELOPED WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF
CANADA MEDIA FUND
documentary CHANNEL
PRODUCED WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF
PRODUCED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF
THE GOVERNMENT OF NOVA SCOTIA,
NOVA SCOTIA FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION INCENTIVE FUND
AND
PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH
AND
IN ASSOCIATION WITH DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL
SENIOR DIRECTOR
SANDRA KLEINFELD
PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE
JORDANA ROSS
A SEA TO SEA AND NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA CO-PRODUCTION
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, QUEBEC ATLANTIC STUDIO
ANNETTE CLARKE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ENGLISH PROGRAM
MICHELLE van BEUSEKOM
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
TERESA MACINNES