While serving a 57-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter at California’s San Quentin jail, Tommy Wickerd discovered goal in an sudden manner: instructing fellow incarcerated individuals and corrections officers American Signal Language.
Rising up with a deaf older brother, Wickerd witnessed the isolation of a world with out correct lodging. So when authorized advocates gained a 2019 petition to maneuver a bunch of deaf males from underresourced prisons to program-rich San Quentin, Wickerd created his class.
“There’s 90-plus those that have realized signal language right here,” stated Wickerd, who’s at the moment up for resentencing on grounds of “distinctive conduct.” “On this final class, three incarcerated deaf individuals taught the category, in order that’s probably the most superior half.”
Wickerd’s story is on the coronary heart of “Pleasant Indicators,” a documentary that author, podcaster and San Quentin Movie Competition co-founder Rahsaan “New York” Thomas directed and co-produced whereas he was incarcerated at San Quentin. It was one in all 5 prison justice tasks supported by The Marshall Venture and the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Brief Movie Fund. “Pleasant Indicators” took three years to make, with COVID-19 delays in filming and distribution.
The documentary debuted on the San Francisco Documentary Competition in June 2023 and has since been screened on the Atlanta Movie Competition, the Arts in Motion Competition and the Double Publicity Movie Competition. On this new Q&A, which was edited for size and readability, Thomas discusses the origins of “Pleasant Indicators,” the challenges of jail filmmaking and the facility of incarcerated individuals telling their very own tales.
*Throughout your decade at San Quentin, you revealed essays and articles, co-hosted the “Ear Hustle” podcast and co-produced “What These Partitions Received’t Maintain,” a documentary that finally aired on the WORLD channel sequence “America ReFramed.” At what level did you understand you needed to direct your personal movie?
I used to be uninterested in individuals coming in and taking our tales.
As a result of even for those who have been good, and you probably did good enterprise, I observed one thing: Y’all have been profitable awards. Y’all weren’t getting wealthy, however you made $150,000; that’s so much to me. And the frequent denominator wasn’t the filmmakers; it was a special one each time. The frequent denominator was our tales. So, I began realizing there was energy in our tales, however we weren’t getting our lower out of it. I felt like our tales shouldn’t simply be advised about us. They need to be advised with us.
How did “Pleasant Indicators” come to be?
It got here organically from understanding Tommy Wickerd and getting updates from him concerning the progress of the deaf group. Round 2019, [deaf men] at Corcoran jail have been being disproportionately murdered. It bought so unhealthy that the Jail Legislation Workplace petitioned for [a cohort] of them to be moved to San Quentin as a result of it was a greater setting.
Everyone at San Quentin knew Tommy knew signal language, so instantly, the employees have been calling on him. Someday, he confirmed up for a gathering, and when he walked in, it was nothing however COs being briefed on how one can deal with deaf individuals. He determined he was going to start out his class.
Simply being in contact with Tommy, listening to that story, I spotted that deaf individuals have been much more invisible inside an already invisible inhabitants. It was a narrative that wanted to be advised.
Wickerd is on the coronary heart of this story. How did you meet?
I met Tommy by way of the 1000 Mile Membership [a volunteer-led running program] that we have been members of. He was completely different — like each New Yr’s, he would pay for and make burritos to present out to any runner who confirmed up that day.
He’s additionally one of many few White individuals with tattoos throughout his head who can undergo the Black part, and it’s all love. Tommy’s only a good particular person, man. I needed to point out society an instance of somebody they have been taught to worry, and why we’ve got to look deeper than simply what an individual was convicted of.
What have been among the largest challenges of constructing a movie whereas incarcerated – each logistically and creatively?
In comparison with services that don’t have media facilities in any respect, San Quentin has a number of choices for making movies. However in any jail setting, it’s arduous to discover a new scene. You need to depend on the facility of your storytelling, as a result of the surroundings goes to be the identical as what we’ve seen in another person’s movie.
You additionally should get advance permission for each shot you do. And in San Quentin, you want a [staff] escort to movie in areas outdoors of the media heart. Getting an escort isn’t that simple. There are solely two or three out there, they usually’re very busy.
I may solely work on “Pleasant Indicators” throughout sure hours, so neglect about deadlines, man. Throughout our COVID lockdown, we didn’t have entry to the media heart in any respect.
Nonetheless, after I bought annoyed with stuff like that taking place, I reminded myself, “Bro, you’re in jail for a murder; filmmaking isn’t even alleged to be doable. Be grateful, alhamdulillah.” Then I’d get it finished when it was alleged to get finished.
Discuss the way you managed taking pictures, modifying and post-production. Who did you’re employed with?
I requested Christine Yoo, a San Quentin volunteer who directed and produced the documentary “26.2 to Life” to mentor me within the filmmaking course of. Along with her assist, I used to be capable of get the grant from The Marshall Venture and the Sundance Institute. Regardless that I wasn’t allowed to obtain funds whereas incarcerated, the grant allowed me to rent an outdoor crew to movie the exterior pictures. The coloring and the sound design additionally occurred on the skin.
On the within, I labored with my director of images, Brian Asey Gonsoulin. He would get up in the course of the night time with a shot he needed to do, and I’d be like, “Let’s go!”
The modifying was on Last Lower at San Quentin, and man, it was a protracted course of as a result of COVID got here. At one level, we couldn’t use the media heart for a yr. After which once we did get again in, there was a water essential break. We bought permission to maneuver a pc to the training hallway, and we labored on it there. It was only a loopy course of.
One of many standout directing selections within the movie is the second when deaf individuals arrive at San Quentin, and the sound cuts out. What impressed that call?
I’m an enormous advocate of, “Don’t be telling tales about us for those who’re not with us.” So I wanted to place myself within the footwear of somebody deaf and put the viewers in that mindframe. I simply began wanting round and [trying to] work out, What’s it wish to be deaf, and the way can I translate that have? I spotted that the one pleasant indicators deaf individuals have been seeing have been those Tommy was throwing up. And other people throw up a number of unfriendly indicators in jail.
Are there any sudden benefits of constructing a movie inside jail?
The relationships you will have with different individuals in jail makes them divulge heart’s contents to you. You understand what’s actually occurring in there and what inquiries to ask. Nobody else has that sort of inside information.
Now that “Pleasant Indicators’ is out, what’s subsequent for you?
I’m engaged on a follow-up referred to as “Silent Remedy” that focuses on incarcerated deaf individuals’s struggle for equality and inclusion. Spoiler alert: What actually labored higher than the lawsuits was the community-building by way of the signal language class. Deaf prisoners went from being remoted, solely capable of discuss to themselves in their very own little teams and huddles, to being immersed in the neighborhood, doing deaf comedy, exhibiting up in any respect occasions, and being an actual a part of San Quentin.
*Submit has been up to date since publication to mirror that “America ReFramed” is a WORLD channel sequence.
