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Sometimes, jail is the only place you can be free.
In Russia, 15-year-olds convicted of criminal acts get sent to adult prisons; for anyone younger it's reform school. Alone in Four Walls takes us inside one such complex in rural Russia, packed to the rafters with 10- to 14-year-old boys convicted of very adult crimes, from petty theft to rape to multiple murder. Almost without exception the inmates come from broken and abusive homes, many having resorted to crime in order to survive.
Focusing on a handful of boys and their families, Alone in Four Walls gives us a glimpse of youths who only now, locked away and given shelter, food and an education, are finally free to act like kids.
Alexandra Westmeier is a guest of the festival.
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D/S Alexandra Westmeier P Inigo Westmeier, Alexandra Westmeier WS The Film Sales Company L Russian w/English subtitles TD 35mm/2007/85mins