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Documentary about two detainees on the eve of their release. One eagerly anticipates being set free, the other has his doubts - after previous experiences - about his return to society.
In the Netherlands there are many different ways to serve time. One example is Willy, a twenty-two-year-old caravan dweller in a semi-open institution in Zutphen. He was convicted of burglary ('but never in houses, you simply don't do that') and theft. During the making of the film, Willy escapes while working in the public garden of the police station. After ten days, he is arrested again and put in a closed prison. 'Now at least I know where I am at', Willy comments cheerfully. But three months before his release he bolts again - which results in an interview with the fugitive in a parking lot. A completely different case is Joey, a forty-four-year-old ex-marine with a drinking and drug problem. He is detained for attempted murder ('I can't remember a thing') and after a stint in Scheveningen prison, he is transferred to Exodus, where people help him reintegrate in society, something he does not really look forward to. The film shows how the two inmates deal with the prospect of freedom. Both prisoners are very candid and the filmmakers succeeded opening doors that usually remain firmly closed.

Credits

Producer
Visual Effects
Production company
Amsterdamse Filmstichting
Distributor NL
Amsterdamse Filmstichting

Title: Op vrije voeten
Year: 2008
Duration : 1 hour, 30 minutes
Category: Long Documentary
Edition: NFF 2008

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