IMPRISONED was shot in Puerto Rico before the hurricane and used actual inmates to make this film through a program called the Correctional Theater Program.
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IMPRISONED Thriller. IMDb pro-rating 7.4. Written and Directed by Paul Kampf. In the thriller, IMPRISONED, Dylan Burke (Juan Pablo Raba), attempts to move on from his former life as a criminal, with his true love, Maria (Juana Acosta). He soon realizes that his past will continue to haunt him, when he learns the new local prison warden, Daniel Calvin (Laurence Fishburne), has not forgiven him for an old crime. Calvin does everything in his power to make sure that Burke pays for his past mistakes, even going as far as to frame him for a murder he didn’t commit, landing him back in jail. When the prison erupts into a riot, Burke and Calvin are each forced to make a choice between righteousness and revenge. Laurence Fishburne, Juan Pablo Raba, Juana Acosta, John Heard, Esai Morales, Jon Huertas, Edward James Olmos and Ana Isabelle.
I was fortunate to get an advance screening of the film and an interview with Writer/Director Paul Kampf. The film is riveting, anchored with Laurence Fishburne’s burning performance seeking revenge, and Juan Pablo Raba’s desire for redemption and passion to begin a new life as a fisherman and husband to his young wife played by Juana Acosta.
How does it feel to write and direct your own film?
Paul Kampf. I started out as a stage actor and began writing plays. In theater, writing and acting in your own play is considered taboo. It is customary to turn your story over to someone else to complete the vision. But in film, when you write and direct, you get to introduce your story to the actors and release it to them so they are free to respond to the character with their own interpretations. Creating an environment for actors to live the behavior of the character through their own choices is my intention, to be an orchestrator and allow my story to take on a life of its own in the shoot.
Tell us about the decision to use former incarcerated Puerto Rican Prisoners in the actual shooting of the film.
Paul Kampf. We wanted to embrace the culture of Puerto Rico and add authenticity to the project. We used 40 formerly incarcerated inmates training them in theater workshops. They performed in the movie and in a staged prison riot. This program was designed to offer incarcerated men and women an opportunity to gain performance skills they can apply to their lives. It was exhilarating. The men loved it and now have enlarged the experience to travel around doing plays and workshops to encourage others. The opportunity to integrate with the prison community and create a positive experience has opened doors for prison reform. We had a private screening in support of the project, ‘Puerto Ricans in Action’.
What was your vision for the film?
Paul Kampf. I wanted to use a strong thematic vision, characterized by an in your face claustrophobic feeling. We balanced the intensity with long shot vistas for creating perspective and heightened tension. We used historic parts of the old prison for filming, like deep underground in the old solitary confinement area from the 1600’s. There was just one small window in the entire space and we used a bright spotlight from outside that cast an eerie glow. I wanted it to look like they were fighting in hell.
What’s next for Paul Kampf after the IMPRISONED Puerto Rican premiere on September 10th and opening in the states on September 13th?
Paul Kampf. I am working on a short film with Puerto Rican actress, singer, writer Roselyn Sanchez who is producing and directing her own film Satos about an animal rescue shelter’s struggle to get back on its feet after Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico. I am also working on a feature film and TV series. I wrote the scripts and will be working in Serbia on the production. It is a true story about organ harvesting and how people’s lives were changed through love.
Don’t miss IMPRISONED in theaters September 13.
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