Sing Sing movie storyline. A theatre troupe finds escape from the realities of incarceration through the creativity of putting on a play in this film based on a real-life rehabilitation programme and featuring a cast that includes formerly incarcerated actors.
Based on the real-life arts rehabilitation programme founded at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Greg Kwedar’s new film follows a troupe of incarcerated actors who work on a play as part of a theatre workshop at the prison.
Every six months, the men gather in a circle of chairs, often looking to Divine G (Colman Domingo) to help decide their next play. When he recruits a new member called Divine Eye, he gets more than he bargained for. The group’s dynamic begins to shift as Divine Eye suggests they do a comedy for the first time, prompting the men to throw out a jumble of wild ideas — from pirate ships to Roman gladiators to Old West gunfights.
Flustered at first, Divine G quickly starts to see Divine Eye’s discomfort with the vulnerability required for what seems like a silly pursuit. While planning for his own clemency hearing, he tries to forge a connection with Eye, as the men collectively unpack the pain of their experience while undergoing the joy and escape of creativity.
Domingo gives one of the most memorable and affecting performances of his career, bolstered by a cast made up almost entirely of formerly incarcerated actors and alumni of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts programme. Their participation brings an authenticity to the group’s founding principle that human dignity must be a part of the justice system.
Directed with a dynamism that matches the charm, mischief, and compassion of the men themselves, Sing Sing recognizes the value of a place we can gather in which to discuss, debate, and create, wherever that may be. It’s an ode to art as a process, much the same as life, through which we can strive to better understand ourselves and each other.
Sing Sing is a 2023 American drama film directed by Greg Kwedar, who co-wrote the screenplay with Clint Bentley. Based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing maximum security prison, the film centres on a group of inmates involved in the creation of theatrical stage shows through the program. It stars professional actors Colman Domingo and Paul Raci, alongside many real-life formerly incarcerated men who were themselves alumni of the program during their incarceration, including Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin and Sean San José.
The film premiered in the Special Presentations program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is scheduled to be released by A24 in the United States in July 12, 2024.
Sing Sing (2024)
Directed by: Greg Kwedar
Starring: Colman Domingo, Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, Sean San Jose, Paul Raci, David “Dap” Giraudy, Patrick “Preme” Griffin, Jon-Adrian Velazquez, Sean “Dino” Johnson
Screenplay by: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar
Production Design by: Ruta Kiskyte
Cinematography by: Scola
Film Editing by: Parker Laramie
Costume Design by: Desira Pesta
Art Direction by: Jacob Harbeck
Music by: Bryce Dessner
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout.
Distributed by: A24 Films
Release Date: September 10, 2023 (TIFF), July 12, 2024 (United States)
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