‘Investigating Incarceration: Artists for Healing and Reform’ Shorts

America has the world’s largest prison population, and 1 in 14 children in the country will experience the incarceration of a parent. Apart follows Lyric, Eric, and Nnadji as they contend with the incarceration of parents with whom they maintain a deep connection despite physical distance. Directed by Geeta Gandbhir and Rudy Valdez. Through Our Eyes is a four-part docuseries produced by the Sesame Workshop exploring some of today’s most challenging issues from the perspectives of children who experience them.

“First Disappearances” takes us on the perilous journey of the first 24 hours after arrest as an individual is handcuffed, loaded into the back of a police cruiser, and brought to central lockup to be processed and wait for their first court appearance. Told from multiple perspectives, “First Disappearances” weaves together documentary audio with hand-drawn animation and medium-format photography to create a singular story of what it is like to experience the criminal justice system for the first time. An intersubjective story of trauma, and the failures of jails and courtrooms to grant humanity, “First Disappearances” is a harrowing and surreal entry-point into the portal of justice in New Orleans and America.

“D.A. Time” follows a young woman in New Orleans who has to wait in jail for more than 60 days after a busted weed deal, before even being charged with a crime. This episode explores the uncertainty families face during this waiting game, and the pressures to plead guilty regardless of guilt due to the hardships of pretrial detention and money bail.

The First Bluebird in the Morning is composer Carlos Simon’s newly-commissioned setting of verses by Sandra Seaton—sobering, heartfelt and moving. Shot in stunning black and white, the film is created by director and choreographer Jamar Roberts. In a breathtaking performance, solo dancer Lloyd Knight, a principal dancer for the Martha Graham Dance Company, brings life and movement to the piece in combination with the voice of tenor Joshua Blue.

A NOTE FROM CARLOS SIMON: According to a recent study, African Americans are incarcerated in state prisons across the United States at more than five times the rate of whites. This piece is a soliloquy of sorts from the perspective of an inmate experiencing life as a prisoner, but yet finding hope and solace in the freedom of a bluebird. I’ve composed dark, brooding music to represent the mundane life of prison, which transforms later into a vibrant dance when the inmate gazes at and admires the colorful bird.

A NOTE FROM SANDRA SEATON: When I began to write about a young man soon to leave prison for parole, I knew ahead of time that I was writing for Josh’s voice. I wanted to dress Joshua Blue’s voice, the voice of this young man (YM), in something new. To start, I talked with my sister Brenda about the prison world. She hadn’t been to prison herself, but she contacted a few friends who had been there. I was able to tap into their experience. Because it was 2021, I couldn’t help thinking about the isolation of the coronavirus. I imagined Josh being in a room by himself, limited by the restrictions of the virus. I looked up images of prison wires and found one called concertina, a musical reference and the wire that keeps YM imprisoned. Much of what I learned and researched is not in the libretto. It forms the subtext, the powerful engine that lies beneath the words. The libretto is the tip of the iceberg.

The First Bluebird in the Morning - LA Opera (10s reel) from LA Opera on Vimeo.