“Adrift on their sea of suffering, seated upon their cushions as if on life rafts, the Dhamma Brothers rode out their storms together.”
– Jenny Phillips, Producer/Director/Writer
– Jenny Phillips, Producer/Director/Writer
Ed Mead
Founder of Prison Art ProjectOrganizer of Men Against Sexism at Walla Walla
Co-founder of Prison Legal News
Co-editor of Prison Focus Magazine
“The Dhamma Brothers poignantly demonstrates the resiliency of the prisoners who participated in a 10-day silent retreat in the prison's gym. It expertly interweaves the stories of a few prisoners in a way that helps us understand the causes and conditions of crime and punishment. We are fortunate to witness the deep desire for healing and change that brings the men to their first Vipassana orientation. The documentary does a great deal to un-do the demonization of men in prison that runs so deeply in popular culture. It reintroduces the notion of rehabilitation in an era of retribution and retaliation. As participants move through their introduction to Vipassana and later work to maintain their practice in the face of prison administrators' ban, we see the struggle of all humans to live a life consistent with our values and to move deeper in our understanding of ourselves.”