#WeMatterToo, say US prisoners in ARC spot

Director Savanah Leaf of Park Pictures sheds light on the dangerous lack of health and safety standards for America's incarcerated individuals during the Covid-19 crisis in #WeMatterToo.

The animated PSA, created in partnership with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) and Imagine Justice, features interviews from current inmates discussing their frightening experiences living through the outbreak, recounting the lack of social distancing measures and other necessities like masks and sanitisers. 

The animations blend a monochromatic palate with bold, stylised imagery of inmates suffering under living conditions reflected in the interviews, driving home the severity of the situation in graphic detail.

"The last line you hear in the PSA is, 'Every sentence shouldn't be a death sentence'," says Leaf. "For me, the statement is a powerful summary of the entire point. Other people often speak on the behalf of incarcerated citizens, and their voices aren't heard. At a time like this, where people remain in their homes, it's important to reach them with the truthful experiences of others in need."

Prison sentencing reform is a related topic Park Pictures’ films has addressed recently when the company developed and produced the HBO Sundance Audience Award and Primetime Emmy Award-winning documentary The Sentence, directed by Rudy Valdez, which highlights the injustice of mandatory minimum sentencing.