Film explores the challenges of life after incarceration for a grandmother in New York City on her 756th day on parole
NEW YORK (March 21, 2022) — “Seven Hundred Fifty-Six”, a new documentary from Andree Ljutica debuts today on Nowness, the award-winning video channel premiering the best in global arts and culture. The 17- minute film highlights the challenges of reentry after a life sentence in prison. Through the mundanity of Leah Faria's 756th day on parole her story is told as she traverses New York City on one of her many hustles, including refilling PPE kits for various businesses.
“Seven Hundred Fifty-Six” studies the tribulations of Leah, who spent twenty-two years in a New York women's correctional facility—something that she describes as akin to being "stuck in time" as she tries to catch up on lost time as a mother, grandmother, and loving daughter. Leah obtained an associates degree in social work from Columbia University through the Prison Ivy program and in addition to her academic pursuits, her time inside was spent helping other women through their personal challenges, a project that laid the groundwork for her current community efforts with domestic abuse survivors.
Filmed during the height of covid in the dead of winter and shot on stunning 35mm Fuji stock with vintage Panavision lenses, the setup was helmed by Matt Klammer (HBO's WIG). “756” also uses hi8 archival footage which Leah shot herself, making this a true authorial collaboration.
"As a society, we regard reentry with a tremendous amount of taboo. I hope the film demystifies this process for the public and inspires a new level of understanding towards those coming out of incarceration, “said Andree Ljutica, director of “Seven Hundred Fifty-Six”. “Leah’s story moved me because it highlighted many things we take for granted in our daily lives. She had to learn how to use email and navigate grocery store. It is in this way that the film is truly about resilience and the drive to overcome the past."
Andree was born in New York City to an immigrant father from Montenegro and an American mother from the Midwest. With Andree’s training as a painter and current work as a photographer, his films hold a unique human quality with equal attention to visual craft. His past narrative and documentary films such as, How to Say I Love You at Night, and Punta Cana, have screened for global audiences at Oscar, BAFTA and Goya qualifying festivals such as, Australia’s Flickerfest, Manchester, New Jersey, Guanajuato International, the Dance on Camera Film Festival at Lincoln Center, have shortlisted at Cannes, Locarno, and have competed for Special Jury Awards at festivals such as Palm Springs International and OutFest LA.
756 debuts on Nowness on March 21, 2022.