Karim Mowatt’s new film 'Lorton: Prison of Terror,” has multiple parts. The first, which he’ll show April 3, looks back at Lorton Reformatory’s history, which goes back more than a century and included increasing violence and corruption as time passed.
Right now there’s no way to stream the film–Mowatt says he’s still looking for the right platform to partner with. He’s held several screenings that have all sold out. Younger people with family connections to Lorton have been especially interested, he says: “They actually came and saw the film so they could have a peek at what their parents went through,” he says.
The documentary also shares some of the prison’s less lurid and often surprising history, like its boxing program and concerts there by Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Chuck Brown. Mowatt has acquired footage of a traveling theater program organized by inmates in the ’70s that will be part of the documentary’s next installment. The stories from Lorton “could go on forever because you had eight prisons,” he says. “There are hundreds of stories in each one.
Lorton: Prison of Terror shows Sunday, April 3, at 2 PM at the Alamo Drafthouse, 630 Rhode Island Avenue, Northeast. A Q&A follows the screening.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Another woman sexually assaulted at Dublin prison; seeks witness protectionA second woman who was sexually assaulted by a correctional officer at the FCI Dublin is now coming forward, saying she is so terrified that she has been cutting herself and is seeking witness protection from the government.
Read more »
Man sentenced to 7 years in prison for shooting at Topgolf in San AntonioA man charged in connection with a shooting at Topgolf in San Antonio nearly four years ago was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison.
Read more »
Former HISD music teacher sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for child pornographyIn October 2019, law enforcement learned Peri's email address was distributing suspected child pornography.
Read more »
Former Harris County deputy sentenced to 10 years in prison for possession of child pornographyAssistant District Attorney Timothy Goodwin said the judge made the right decision in sentencing the former officer to the maximum.
Read more »