The Blue Inmates by Zeina Daccache
+ Live virtual discussion with Director Zeina Deccache and Clara El Akiki (The Roots Resistance)
Actor, drama therapist and director Zeina Daccache is on a mission to reform penal law in Lebanon. Having introduced and pioneered drama therapy in the Lebanese prison system, Zeina’s theatre production “12 Angry Lebanese” in 2009, and the documentary that emerged from the process, led to a progression in legislation to reduce the prison year and to enable prisoners to be eligible for early release for good conduct.
Her second documentary film “Scheherazade’s Diary” contributed to the activism campaign to pass the bill for the protection of women and members of the family from domestic violence in 2014.
Her third film in the series, The Blue Inmates, follows the making of a theatre production depicting inmates suffering from mental health issues, isolated within “The Blue Building” in Lebanon’s Roumieh Prison, portrayed by their fellow inmates in general population. In this remarkable documentary, inmates enrolled in Daccache’s drama therapy programme convey messages from “The Blue Building” to the outside world and to decision-makers with the hope of changing the status of these forgotten prisoners.
Lebanese law from 1943 stipulates that “Insane”, “Mad” or “Possessed” offenders shall be incarcerated until they can prove they are “cured”, yet psychological and medical care are absent from Lebanese prisons, meaning offenders with mental health issues are in reality serving a life sentence regardless of their crime.
Through Daccache, we hear untold stories through the performance, as she seeks to show humanity within an inhumane system and to bring change – namely the possibility of rehabilitation – through art.
Content note: The Blue Inmates depicts the poor treatment of prisoners in Lebanon with mental health conditions. The prisoners live in a deprived environment without adequate support and health care. Some language used in the film to describe ill mental health is reflective of attitudes in Lebanese law and the country’s penal system. This language and content may be upsetting and offensive to some viewers.
THE BLUE INMATES will be screened with descriptive subtitles*, and the post-screening Q&A will have live-captioning available. If you have any questions about the access provisions for this event, you can contact our Access & Inclusion Manager at charlotte@birds-eye-view.co.uk
*Descriptive subtitles, sometimes referred to as SDH (subtitles for Deaf and hard-of-hearing), HoH (hard-of-hearing), and captions, transcribe dialogue (e.g. for English-speaking audiences, both English and any other languages) and relevant aspects of the soundtrack, including music and sound effects, attempting to give viewers an equal experience to those who are able to watch films without descriptive subtitles. Descriptive subtitles would include speech identifiers and descriptive elements such as [door slamming] and [kettle whistling].
Reclaim The Frame x International is a new international collaboration between Birds’ Eye View (UK), Flying Broom Foundation (Turkey), Women Make Waves (Taiwan) and Regards de femmes: festival international de film de femmes (Tunisia). With the shared mission to increase gender diversity and inclusion in cinema Reclaim the Frame x International aims to support culturally diverse women & non-binary filmmakers through the circulation of works, collaboration and a professional development programming.
Reclaim The Frame x International is funded by the British Council’s International Collaboration Grants, which are designed to support UK and overseas organisations to collaborate on international arts projects. The screening is also supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery. More about Reclaim The Frame International
