Set inside a single room in Folsom Prison, The Work follows three men from outside as they participate in a four-day group therapy retreat with level-four convicts. Over the four days, each man in the room takes his turn at delving deep into his past. The raw and revealing process that the incarcerated men undertake exceeds the expectations of the free men, ripping them out of their comfort zones and forcing them to see themselves and the prisoners in unexpected ways. The Work offers a powerful and rare look past the cinder block walls, steel doors and the dehumanizing tropes in our culture to reveal a movement of change and redemption that transcends what we think of as rehabilitation.

“An emotionally riveting documentary that may very well be the most powerful group therapy ever caught on camera…. In one extraordinary moment, a microphone taped to one man is crushed between another as they’re caught in a sudden embrace; pressed close to their chests, it picks up a heartbeat, and it’s thundering along at a rapid pace. Anyone watching The Work will be able to relate.” – Eric Kohn, Indiewire