“Sickness in the System” reveals the shortcomings of the prison system in safeguarding its inmates. Bryan Gibel’s documentary provides an intimate look into life inside San Quentin through personal narratives. At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, none of the 3,500 inmates had tested positive. However, a poorly managed prisoner transfer led to nearly half of the population becoming infected within six weeks, marking the prison as the nation’s most severe hotspot.
The film uses the stories of two individuals to underscore the prison’s lack of adequate response as the virus spread. Gibel combines phone interviews with prisoners, actor performances, and hand-drawn illustrations to paint a vivid picture of the systemic failures that exacerbated the outbreak.
Directed by Oakland-based independent filmmaker Bryan Gibel, whose accolades include the Saul Zaentz Award and a National MediaMaker Fellowship, “Sickness in the System” can be viewed on fieldofvision.org. Field of Vision is a documentary platform that supports and produces original nonfiction films and series focusing on pertinent global issues.
