Sing sing

Sing Sing is not your typical American prison drama! For one, it’s not about violence and corruption in prison systems or inmates trying to break out. It is a story of hope. It’s about rehabilitation and the journey of the film’s incarcerated men to make sense of their actions, loss of freedom, and path to redemption.

The film is based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison in New York, which aims to use theatre as a way to rehabilitate inmates. One thing that makes this film stand out is that more than half the characters are played by former inmates and alumni of the RTA program.

The storyline centers on Divine G (played by professional actor Colman Domingo), a man who is incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. A man with a sense of purpose to help others, he’s passionate about writing and acting, and also determined to prove his innocence and gain his freedom. The tension and storyline in the film come from the relationship (and for the most part rivalry) between Divine G and the aggressive and tough Divine Eye, played by former inmate Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin. 

We see an unlikely pair – one who sees theatre as a transformative and therapeutic process and one who thinks it’s a waste of time – clash but in time they transform through the interaction in the theatre group and ultimately become friends.

Not everyone in the group liked the film but more than half the group really enjoyed it. For me, it was a film filled with hope and reality, and great performances by professional actors and real people.