Thanks for recommending. Saw this documentary last night. I saw suffering seasoned with moments of joy. It's heartbreaking. But more than heartbreaking, infuriating.
We are an insanely punishing society. Sadistic. Most all of this misery is poverty-driven. And poverty is a self-inflicted wound and that wound is somehow integral to our increasingly capitalist consumer cultural fabric, the way human sacrifice was in the fabric of the Aztec, Maya and Toltecs--though their approach was more honest.
This documentary opens the door to suffering. As meeting homeless people in our town square has for the last nine years, every Sunday. I leave the plaza with feelings of despair, shame and rage. The film evoked a similar feeling.
I realize this may not be the feeling the film maker was trying to evoke. But what stands out for me is failure more than any success. Not that I can't see any light in the film; it's that I see so much darkness. Unnecessary suffering.
Glad I saw this. A window into our prison system. I mostly look the other way.
Wow. Many interesting comments. Far afield, but if our species snuffs itself out it will be because our relationship with suffering is so perverse. We don't get the information in the suffering. We don't want the information. No course correction, no future.
Going to see this soon. The trailer is emotionally powerful in itself. Especially the seconds at the end, the girl hanging on the fence. Wow...
ReplyDeleteThanks for recommending. Saw this documentary last night. I saw suffering seasoned with moments of joy. It's heartbreaking. But more than heartbreaking, infuriating.
DeleteWe are an insanely punishing society. Sadistic. Most all of this misery is poverty-driven. And poverty is a self-inflicted wound and that wound is somehow integral to our increasingly capitalist consumer cultural fabric, the way human sacrifice was in the fabric of the Aztec, Maya and Toltecs--though their approach was more honest.
This documentary opens the door to suffering. As meeting homeless people in our town square has for the last nine years, every Sunday. I leave the plaza with feelings of despair, shame and rage. The film evoked a similar feeling.
I realize this may not be the feeling the film maker was trying to evoke. But what stands out for me is failure more than any success. Not that I can't see any light in the film; it's that I see so much darkness. Unnecessary suffering.
Glad I saw this. A window into our prison system. I mostly look the other way.
I totally agree with you. The film speaks volumes (loudly) about the need for penal reform.
DeleteCoincidentally I ran across this relevant report from years ago while preparing my next linkdump -
Deletehttps://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/9jtv8a/the_pennsylvania_department_is_corrections_is/
Wow. Many interesting comments. Far afield, but if our species snuffs itself out it will be because our relationship with suffering is so perverse. We don't get the information in the suffering. We don't want the information. No course correction, no future.
Delete