How does an ex-felon rebuild his life after 19 years in prison?
HOLDING UP THE SKY is a documentary film centering on two successful formerly incarcerated men whose unique stories of contrasting social and family backgrounds, the circumstances of their crimes, and deeply intertwined journeys through and beyond the prison system led to their current successful lives outside of prison.
HOLDING UP THE SKY aims to inspire discussion, advocacy, and social justice actions through stories of returning citizens who provide stable, positive contributions to society and to our economy.
The HOLDING UP THE SKY project has four main parts:
We will use HOLDING UP THE SKY to:
Provide hope and direction for people incarcerated and formerly incarcerated, their families and support communities
Illuminate the realities of Ed and Jimmy’s life history through his first-person narrative
Motivate policy makers and others to combat inequality and injustice toward marginalized communities
Change the sentence of “lifetime parole” to a term-limited parole period
Encourage business leaders to engage with and support social justice initiatives
Increase access to prison education programs
Reaffirm the idea that a person returning from incarceration can make invaluable contributions to society
Support vocational training initiatives
We are grateful for the generous support of you, our individual donors, and to Bikes Not Bombs, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Emerson College, Mass Humanities, and the Center for Independent Documentary.