second wind (سطر جديد) - Short Doc

 

Role: Co-director, 2nd camera, Editor

Few stories ever emerge out of Lebanon’s notorious prison system, let alone stories about the difficulties of starting a new life after prison. Four ex-prisoners living in a rehabilitation center in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon share their personal stories and perspectives on how the experience of prison and the criminal record system shaped their lives, and how far they’re willing to go to be given a chance to a new start.

 
 
Co-directors of Second Wind. Tariq Keblaoui (Left) Nessim Stevenson (Right)

Co-directors of Second Wind. Tariq Keblaoui (Left) Nessim Stevenson (Right)

 

We made this documentary as a collaboration with Search For Common Ground to shed light on the subject of the prison system in Lebanon and to highlight the importance of rehabilitation and reintegration post-prison.

It is commonly known to us in Lebanon just how under-resourced and inhumane the prison conditions and system are in the country. What is much less talked about is the conditions and experiences that lead people to prison in the first place, and the reality they are faced with upon leaving it. We realized that the only way to understand this would be to find ex-prisoners willing to share their stories with us. We were lucky enough to find four exceptionally engaging and well-spoken participants willing to talk to us about their journey and show us just how much one can change when given the chance and the support.