Since 2012, several correctional institutions in the Greater Montreal area have hosted the RIDM’s two-part cultural outreach program. The first visit involves a screening of a documentary from a previous edition of the festival, followed by a discussion with a member of the film’s crew. The second part is a critical writing workshop led by an expert facilitator. These activities give inmates the opportunity to learn more about the different steps in making a film, but above all they expose them to interesting cultural material at a time when they are largely cut off from the world. The activities encourage the inmates to reflect, develop their critical faculties and open their minds to different ways of seeing the world. To learn more about this initiative, see Martin Bilodeau’s June 14, 2013 article in French in Le Devoir. Following are some of the pieces the inmates wrote during the writing workshop.

You can also read a text wrote during the first 2018 workshop, following Jean-François Lesage's The Hidden River screening (RIDM 2017 special jury prize - Canadian feature): Film's critic 

Another screenings and workshop to come, click here.

To learn more about the program, you can also read the article published by Culture pour tous, Le documentaire à travers les murs. (in French only)

These activities are supported by the Quebec chapter of the Elizabeth Fry Society and the Ville de Montréal’s Community-cultural partnerships Program.