A new documentary is exploring the ways in which building and nurturing relationships can help people reenter community life after spending time behind bars.
Charlottesville-area filmmaker Chris Farina told The Daily Progress that when he started capturing the Bridge Ministry’s work with men in Buckingham County on film, he quickly realized that something special was happening. Audience members who attend a fundraising premiere screening and discussion on Thursday evening at Charlottesville’s Paramount Theater will get a glimpse of how respect, hard work and what Farina calls “a gift of love” is helping former inmates avoid recidivism.
“I was introduced to the Bridge Ministry in the spring of 2021, but we started filming in the spring of 2022,” Farina said. “In 2021, I went down there [to Buckingham] to listen in, and I was so moved by it because of the real compassion shown to the guys. I was so emotionally moved by it that I wanted to share that uplifting emotion with the audience.”
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What makes the Bridge’s program different, Farina said, is its emphasis on strengthening and preparing people for new lives after not only incarceration, but, in many instances, tough upbringings, the toll of trauma and the impact of addiction. Farina said that the combination of job training, individual attention and one-on-one encouragement developed by William Washington, founder and executive director of the Bridge Ministry, gives former inmates the tools to make fresh starts. The picturesque countryside of Buckingham County also provides a nourishing backdrop for transition and transformation after time served in stark settings.
“The really touching thing was the beautiful setting,” Farina said. “It really affected the men to be in a place of beauty and freedom. Changing the setting helped them feel their lives had changed. It’s not just a question of going through a program. It’s a matter of changing yourself.”
After the screening, there will be a discussion and some question-and-answer time. Panelists expected to participate include University of Virginia Police Chief Timothy Longo; Mike London, head football coach at William and Mary; George Morris from Fellowship of Christian Athletes; Judge Jay Swett; Washington; Bridge graduate John Bolling; and moderator Jay James.
Mariah Botkin, who serves as Farina’s marketing and outreach manager, said Washington’s approach of “treating people like people” can help reduce layers of stigma that can make reentry harder for former inmates as they apply for jobs, seek housing and establish new lives as neighbors, coworkers and friends. Part of the power of the new documentary is “getting people thinking about [reentry] and caring about it.”
Shining a spotlight on Washington demonstrates that “Chris has one of the biggest, most generous hearts, and he knows how to find a true hero in his community,” Botkin told The Daily Progress.
“It’s a really powerful story, and so much of the story is about the value of connecting to people,” said Botkin, who added that the rate of Bridge Ministry participants who offended again was 5%, while the national rate is close to 80%.
Farina said he is pleased to see that Tom Tom Festival founder Paul Beyer placed a focus on reentry in this year’s festival, and he said drawing attention to the Bridge Ministry’s approach can help community members consider different ways of welcoming former inmates back into society.
“I’m moved by Paul’s Tom Tom work for the community, and I feel lucky to have this opportunity,” Farina said.
The filmmaker, who perseveres with his calling in community storytelling despite a diagnosis of ALS, said he hopes community members will come away with a sense of how the organization’s encouragement of faith in a higher power, and faith in themselves and each other, can help former inmates reach for new successes in their new lives.
“There’s an obvious sense of how they’ve changed these men,” Farina said of the Bridge’s team. “It’s such a gift of love the Bridge Ministry gives to the men, and to the community.”
The screening is a fundraiser for the Bridge Ministry. Tickets are offered on a sliding scale to accommodate a variety of budgets, and additional donations are welcomed.