Mill Valley Film Viewing Recap

On November 12th, three hundred people came together in the beautiful Mill Valley Library, under the Redwoods, to view our short film, Reflections Behind Bars. It was standing room only.

After a welcome by Dr. Espinoza, Back the Start's Executive Director, the audience watching the short documentary exploring childhood trauma and pathways to a more hopeful future. At the core of the film are the raw, deeply personal narratives and poems from currently incarcerated individuals, about growing up at the intersection of poverty, violence, and systemic racism.

This was followed by a panel discussion and Q&A. Panel members were:

•Jacob Kornbluth – Emmy award-winning Filmmaker and Producer

•Brian Asey Gonsoulin – Cofounder of Back to the Start and former Executive Director of San Quentin Prison Report

•Markelle Taylor – Advocate and San Quentin 1000 Mile Club Alumnus (26.2 to Life documentary)

•Francesca Bell – Marin Poet Laureate and Back to the Start Advisory Board member

The night's theme centered around the transformative power of writing and the arts to effectuate systems change. Brian Asey Gonsoulin and Markelle Taylor talked about their own childhood stories and why Back to Start's mission resonates so much with them. Jacob Kornbluth talked about the unique challenges and rewards of filming inside a prison and working with the program's incarcerated team. Francesca Bell talked about Back to the Start's program's poetry pilot expansion, and the raw talent of the participants, reciting a portion of a poem called "Is He Gong to Make It Through", written by Freddie Huante, about being born premature and almost dying in the NICU only be later sentenced to later life in prison.

After an engaging community conversation and Q&A, countless attendees stayed behind to ask more questions to the panelists and moderator, Dr. Espinoza, until library closed for the night.

It was clear that community members want to have these important conversations, which are more critical now than ever. Stay tuned for more more events/viewings that hold space for honest dialogue, connection, and reflection. As Jessie Milo says in his poem in the beginning of the film:

Writing our Stories is a form of Art.

To Change the Future sometimes,

We have to go BACK TO THE START

See the film trailer here.