Johnson's Wishing for Wings documentary 'gritty and real'

Culture historian and ex-journalist Kim Johnson took a different direction in his debut as executive producer for a feature film, Wishing For Wings, which achieved a nomination for best documentary at the Festival of Cinema NYC 2022.

The festival closed on Sunday, three days after Wishing For Wings made its world premiere, taking the audience for an emotional ride during its 72-minute running time.

The film was inspired by prison reform activist and Newsday columnist Debbie Jacob’s 2013 book of the same title.

Both the film and book centre on Jacob’s work with inmates at the Youth Training Centre (YTC), who follow vastly different paths after their release.

“The feedback’s been excellent so far,” Johnson told Newsday after the premiere.

Johnson, who also edited, wrote and directed the film, was unable to attend, and was represented by his girlfriend Malika Green.

Like Jacob’s book, which received overwhelmingly positive reviews on Amazon, GoodReads and other online bookstores, the film has been widely praised by viewers.

Among them was the head photographer at the festival, Rehana Khan, an American with Indo-Caribbean roots. Being a former teacher, like Jacob, Khan said the film resonated with her.

“I love the fact that it dealt with a serious subject but showed the positives and negatives to it; not outright bash the system,” she said. “The story of redemption is always something to cheer for.

“I also loved the fact that it took someone who isn't of the culture – a white woman – to see their (the inmates’) potential and to try to offer them freedom in ways they didn't think possible.”

Jacob grew up on a farm in Ohio, USA, moved to TT in the early 90s, and became a journalist and later an English teacher and librarian at the International School of Port of Spain, in Westmoorings, which contrasts with her later work with the YTC inmates.

Jacob has also worked with the older inmates at the general prisons, where she has organised successful debate teams.

Johnson said within two days of Jacob’s release of Wishing For Wings, he knew he wanted to make a movie of it. In fact, the film had originally been intended as a drama and Johnson even had a high-profile name to act in Jacob’s role, but serious budget constraints intervened. The film was also only intended to be about 20 minutes long.

Yet after only two days of filming, Johnson had an incredible amount of powerful footage to work with. That, however, came with its drawbacks.

Because of the nature of the documentary, Johnson said he has serious reservations about its wide release in this country, considering the stigma attached to YTC inmates, especially those who were in the background of the film and whose stories didn’t necessarily have the positive endings that others featured.

Johnson said, however, that getting cameras into YTC wasn’t difficult, as former commissioner of prisons Sterling Stewart strongly supported the film’s production.

Both the book and film highlight the attention Jacob gives individual inmates in her classes, treating each with dignity and consideration of their unique personalities.

Johnson said the inmates’ transformation was premised on Jacob’s own transformation, coming into the prison system.

“Debbie had to change from being an insecure, shy woman to one with confidence who believed they could be redeemed,” Johnson said. “It was a mutual enlightenment.”

Khan told Newsday, ‘She offered them a motherly mentor figure as well as education.

“If they are educated, no one can truly hold you back or limit you but yourself. She gave them hope. I saw how some spoke about her with utmost respect.”

There was a sense of authenticity in the film, demonstrated in the relationship between the Prison Commissioner and Jacob – a healthy one, but not without differences in opinion.

For instance, Stewart and Jacob spoke individually about why they believed one of the inmates had made considerable positive steps to improve his lifestyle.

While Stewart suggested the physical discipline, or licks, was the cause for his change, Jacob argued that it was his reading and writing, and ultimately finding himself, that was responsible for the changes.

At some points, the film could be felt in the gut; a number of inmates appeared to complete their stay at YTC having made considerable educational and psychological progress, while a few others weren’t as fortunate.

“The director’s approach was empathetic but gritty and real,” said Khan.“It evoked emotions from the audience, from my observation and chatting with them afterward.

“It's wonderful that our (Caribbean) culture was represented. I wish more of our people took chances to make and submit films and also about topics such as these.

“It was hard to watch at times. It hits you that this is a reality for those boys, and their stories needed to be told.”