This project will conducting a series of screenings of the documentary film "Waiting for Life" followed by panel discussions in San Francisco, Washington DC, and Stockholm, in the presence of the film's two main characters, Donald "Twin" James and Reginald "Happy" Wilson.
These two individuals spent 32 and 34 years in prison, respectively, and participated in the 1989 production of "Waiting for Godot" inside San Quentin, directed by Jan Jönson. The film follows them during their first year of freedom with flashbacks from their time working with Beckett and focuses on how culture and meaningful content can change life in a prison.
The panel will also consist of former life-sentenced prisoner Lonnie Morris, now running the organisation No more tears at San Quentin prison, Jan Jönson, director of the production "Waiting for Godot" where Twin and Happy participated in 1989, the director and producer of the film Waiting for Life", Staffan Julén, and the two Swedish criminologists Amir Rostami and Jerzy Sarnecki.
The minitour will be arranged in cooperation with several different organisations and will reach prisoners, politicians and young people.
Author Magnus Linton will accompany the minitour, writing an essay on the different developments in USA and Sweden with regards to how correctional services are being used.
This project is a collaboration with the research project 4C - The Swedish Consortium for the study of Contemporary Criminal Collaboration.
