Concrete, Steel and Paint

Dir. Cindy Burstein & Tony Heriza, 2009, 55 min.

When men in a Pennsylvania state prison join with victims of crime to create a mural about healing, their views on punishment, remorse, and forgiveness collide. Finding consensus is not easy – but as the participants move through the creative process, mistrust gives way to surprising moments of human contact and common purpose. The film, featuring Philadelphia's internationally recognized Mural Arts Program, raises important questions about crime, justice and reconciliation–and dramatically illustrates how art can facilitate dialogue about difficult issues.

"Concrete, Steel and Paint informs us with piercing eloquence that, through art and honesty, salvation and transcendent understanding are possible." -- Huffington Post (link text "Huffington Post" to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-koehler/the-healing-walls_b_833802.html) To learn more about the film and watch the trailer, visit www.concretefilm.org 

Directors Cindy Burstein and Tony Heriza join a post screening dialogue led by King Downing, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Healing Justice Program

Panelists include:

Miguel Adams, Formerly Incarcerated

Riverside Prison Ministry (link to Riverside  to http://www.theriversidechurchny.org/getinvolved/?prison) and Campaign to End the New Jim Crow Denise Paul, Mother of Crime Victim, Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E. (link to http://harlemmotherssave.com/index.html)

Amy Sanaman, Director

Groundswell Community Mural Project (link to http://www.groundswellmural.org/index.html)