The Conquest of Inner Freedom

Are we able to find freedom within ourselves alone? Does this approach allow us to protect ourselves from the pitfalls and bitterness of the outside world? And can we feel this way even when our life is strictly controlled while we spend it behind bars? This documentary by directors Silvia Kaiser and Aleksandra Kumorek introduces us to Tegel prison in Berlin, where nine convicts meet regularly with two philosophers over the course of one year. Using Socratic dialogues, they ponder topics concerning the duality of truth and lies, internal and external freedom, the weight of other people's opinions, and their own emotions. Men who have been convicted for murder, fraud, drug dealing, robbery and manslaughter look into their own souls and try to find answers to the questions that arise during discussions with the other prisoners. We follow their fate against the backdrop of their daily duties and readings of psychologists' reports. The film excels in terms of the intimacy of the testimonies we hear while we eavesdrop on the prisoners and their thoughts from behind a film camera.