For seven years Aly Muritiba worked in a prison in Brazil. There, he was part of the Alpha team. After studying film and making some shorts, Aly returns to his old job to be reunited with his former colleagues and make a film about the Alpha Team. The Team consists of 28 people, men and women of different origins and backgrounds, that work as caretakers and custodians for over a thousand criminals in a Brazilian prison. Walkiu becomes the leader of the team and hopes to do a good job. But as time goes by he realizes that his hands are tied.
For seven years, coincidentally the years of my academic formation in film, I worked as a prison guard in a brazilian prison. There, I was part of Team ALFA, made up of 28 men and women, which day in and day out carried out their work alongside 900 inmates.
For seven years, coincidentally the years of my academic formation in film, I worked as a prison guard in a brazilian prison. There, I was part of Team ALFA, made up of 28 men and women, which day in and day out carried out their work alongside 900 inmates.
Over these years I realized the prison system is a living bureaucratic organism, but headless. Often, while talking with colleagues, I noticed that we all, in some way, felt like the arm of this living entity. However, I felt like a shackled arm.
In parallel, I began traveling to film festivals presenting my early short films. In conversations and debates, when revealing my “official” profession, I noticed a significant interest, lack of understanding and prejudice about what happens inside a prison and who the “guards” are. With each conversation, the idea of the film grew stronger and more urgent. — Aly Muritiba