Finding the Words premieres on Saturday, January 28, 2023 at the Academy of Music in partnership with Northampton Department of Health & Human Services
Media Contact: Danielle Amodeo | danielle@artsequitygroup.com | 347.684.0323
Northampton, MA (January 12, 2023) Finding the Words: The Story of Voices from Inside will premiere on January 28, 2023, at the Academy of Music in Northampton, MA in partnership with the city’s Department of Health and Human Services. Finding the Words is a documentary about the creativity, joy, and resilience of women in Western Massachusetts, who overcome adversity through writing. Immediately following the screening, the filmmakers and the women featured in the documentary will participate in a public dialogue and Q&A. The film and conversation will also be live streamed by Northampton Open Media.
The filmmakers partnered with Voices from Inside (VFI) to explore how creative writing workshops can support women who are currently or formerly incarcerated, as well as those who have experiences with addiction and recovery. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, on average 2,019,900 women are incarcerated each year in America. The women featured in this film use writing to find their voices, share their stories, and support one another as they return to their communities. The film will bring you inside the Franklin County jail, into the homes of formerly incarcerated women, and into their local community centers and theaters so that you can hear their stories firsthand. “When I first heard about the women who participated in VFI, I knew I wanted to amplify the stories they were already telling about their experiences and connect them with new audiences,” says Executive Producer Alexandra Wagman. Noting the increased rate of incarceration among women in America, she added, “It was important for us to provide some context about incarceration and addiction and the societal circumstances that can lead women to those outcomes.”
This film weaves the personal narratives of Jacqueline, Sonia, Daisy, Judy, Amie, and Kay Kay, along with insights from scholars, to help audiences understand the circumstances that can lead to incarceration and addiction, as well as how writing can be a tool for hope and healing. “This film shows how VFI transformed my life,” says Jacqueline Velez Vasquez, who is featured in the film. “Writing with VFI built my self-confidence and showed me that my voice is important, especially when speaking to students, who will become lawyers, judges, police, correctional officers, professors, social workers, and more.” Finding the Words comes with an interpretive guide that film partner Arts Equity Group created in collaboration with the women featured in the film so that they can continue to shape our understanding of their experiences beyond the runtime of the film. The filmmakers intend to share the documentary with anyone who would like to use it in educational and community settings for free.
Production for this project began in November 2019, but filming was put on hold during the early days of the pandemic. “Filming inside the carceral system has so many barriers during normal times, but when you add the restrictions of a pandemic to the mix, it’s even more of a feat,” says Executive Producer Florian Marschoun. “As a team, we practiced social distancing, did lots of shooting outside, and tried to make the most of whatever time we were given to film inside the jail,” says Marschoun. The project wrapped in Spring 2022, and in Summer 2022, the production team held a private screening for the women featured in the film to get their feedback and response. “The film shows that women can overcome insurmountable obstacles and live a productive life, regardless of what mistakes they have made or what trauma they’ve been through when people care and invest in them,” says Jacqueline about her viewing experience.
The production was local to Western Massachusetts. Wagman and Marschoun led the film team as Executive Producers. Wagman is a seasoned filmmaker and professor of English at Holyoke Community College. Marschoun, who was also a director of photography, is an architectural photographer and serves on the board of Northampton Open Media. J.D. Swerzenski wore many hats as an editor, audio engineer, and associate producer. When Swerzenski joined the project, he was teaching film theory and video production at UMass Amherst and media theory at Mount Holyoke College. He is now a professor in Digital Media and Communication at Mary Washington University. Northampton-based photographer Aundrea Marschoun was cinematographer. Danielle Amodeo, Director of Arts Equity Group, supported the team as a Producer and led communications, interpretation, and programming initiatives. Finally, local musician Kelly Vogel composed original music for the film. Vogel has also volunteered with VFI in the past. All of the women and scholars featured in the film are based in Western Massachusetts.
Finding the Words will premiere at the Academy of Music in Northampton, Ma. on January 28, 2022 at 7pm. The premiere is designed to be a community event and presented through a partnership with Northampton’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). “We’re really excited about the opportunity to present this film to our community,” says Deputy Commissioner Michele Farry. “At DHHS, we’re committed to supporting folks who have experiences with incarceration and addiction, and we hope this film helps shine a light on their experiences.” DHHS is assisting with production and outreach efforts, and also helping to convene local resources, which will be available for audiences to explore at the premiere.
The premiere is also supported by Northampton Open Media, Northampton Arts Council, Community Action, HampshireHOPE, Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region, Mass Cultural Council, Greenfield Savings Bank, Five College Realtors, Aspect Six Architectural Photography, and Arts Equity Group. The production of this film was made possible in part by generous support from MassHumanties and Northampton Open Media. To watch the teaser and learn more about the film, our team, and related statistics, please visit finding-the-words.com.
Tickets are free and open to everyone, but must be reserved in advance. To reserve a free ticket to the premiere, please visit the Academy of Music website.
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Finding the Words is about the creativity, joy, and resilience of women in Western Massachusetts, who overcome adversity through writing. This film weaves the personal narratives of Jacqueline, Sonia, Daisy, Judy, Amie, and Kay Kay, along with insights from scholars, to help audiences understand the circumstances that can lead to incarceration and addiction, as well as how writing can be a tool for hope and healing. This documentary was made possible in part by generous support from MassHumanties and Northampton Open Media. To watch the teaser and learn more about the film and related statistics, please visit finding-the-words.com.
Finding the Words is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of Finding the Words must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Visit our giving page linked here to make a contribution to Finding the Words.