Reels & Roots Presents: The Alabama Solution Screening and Talkback

Reels & Roots Presents: The Alabama Solution Screening and Talkback

Join us at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre for an evening of thought-provoking cinema and engaging discussion! We will be screening The Alabama Solution, a powerful documentary that delves into the complexities of social justice and community activism.

Stick around after the film for a talkback session where you can share your thoughts and insights with fellow audience members and one of the filmmakers. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of an important conversation!

🎬 About the Film

The Alabama Solution is a powerful HBO documentary that exposes the hidden realities inside one of America’s most violent prison systems. Filmed over several years, the story unfolds through cell phone footage secretly recorded by incarcerated men, revealing a harrowing look at overcrowding, abuse, forced labor, and systemic neglect within the Alabama Department of Corrections.

At its center is the 2019 killing of Steven Davis at Donaldson Correctional Facility — a tragedy that became a symbol of a larger crisis in the American justice system. The film follows the voices of those directly impacted, including incarcerated organizers Robert Earl Council (Kinetik Justice) and Melvin Ray, who risked everything to make the truth visible.

Directed by Andrew Jarecki (Capturing the Friedmans, The Jinx) and Charlotte Kaufman, The Alabama Solution blends raw footage, firsthand testimony, and investigative storytelling to confront one urgent question: What does justice look like when the system itself is broken?