A Woman on the Outside 2021
Distributed by Women Make Movies, 115 W. 29th Street, Suite 1200,New York, NY, 10001; 212-925-0606
Produced by Kiara C. Jones, Zara Katz, and Lisa Riordan Seville
Directed by Zara Katz and Lisa Riordan Seville
Streaming, 87 mins
High School - General Adult
Activism; Prisoners; Women's Rights
Date Entered: 06/14/2023
Reviewed by Gisèle Tanasse, University of California BerkeleyA Woman on the Outside blends vérité documentary treatment and first-person social media footage to intimately draw viewers into Krystal Bush’s tireless efforts to keep families together despite incarceration. We observe Krystal’s commitment through the lens of her transportation company, Bridging the Gap, which picks up family members before the break of dawn in Philadelphia to travel hours to visit incarcerated brothers, fathers, and sons, returning the visitors home after nightfall. The emotional and economic toll of incarceration and how it affects multiple generations of family members is undeniable. It is important to note, however, that as we witness the parole and reincarceration of Krystal’s own brothers and father to prison over the span of 4 years, we also see tremendous resilience, hope, and joy.
A Woman on the Outside is highly recommended for courses focused on criminal justice, human rights, legal studies, women studies, and social work, as well as transportation studies. The film works particularly well for community screenings, with its unique and engaging portrayal of a small business owner who has identified and responded directly to a community need. From a documentary film perspective, the filmmakers’ creative infusion of Krystal Bush’s own footage throughout this feature-length documentary offers a spectacular example of what can be achieved when film empowers a subject to tell their own story.
Awards: Best Documentary, 2022 American Black Film Festival; Best North American Feature Documentary, 2022 Mammoth Lakes Film Festival; Best Documentary, Diamond State Black Film Festival; Local Audience Award, Philadelphia Film Festival
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