BlackStar Film Festival Review: “Time” Is a Story About One Black Family’s Road to Love, Justice, and Redemption
"Listen. My story is – is the story of over two million people in the United States of America that are falling prey to the incarceration of poor people and people of color," Black criminal justice reform activist, Sibil Fox Richardson says at the beginning of the documentary Time.
According to The Sentencing Project, 5.7 million children under the age of seventeen have witnessed a parent in jail at some point in their lives. Depending on the parent's time in prison, these children are more likely to deal with depression, anger, and anxiety while their parents remain behind bars. Non-profit organizations such as FAMM and the Prison Policy Initiation are working to expose the harmful effects of mass incarceration on families. But until real change happens, these children will continue to suffer. Hopefully, Garrett Bradley's searing documentary Time will get people to see the importance of criminal justice reform.
Beautifully rendered in black and white, Time captures the incredible life story of the previously mentioned prison abolitionist, business owner, and mother of six sons, also known as Fox Rich. A twenty-first century Sojourner Truth in the making, Fox's goal is to get her husband, Robert G. Richardson, out of prison for armed robbery in Louisiana. Sentenced for 60 years without probation, parole, or suspension of sentence, Robert's chances of reuniting with his family seem slim to none. But despite being behind bars, Robert's childhood sweetheart will do everything she can to get him out. Formerly incarcerated for the same crime, Sibil uses her platform to share her life story with the masses. While at the same time bringing awareness of how mass incarceration affects black, brown, and low-income people in the United States. With home videos and original footage, the documentary takes us on a journey of one Southern black family's quest to find love, justice, and forgiveness in an unfair world.
As an activist, Fox uses her second chance at life to give voice to the voiceless. She speaks at churches and colleges, writes a book about her time in prison, and discusses criminal justice reform on social media while raising her six wickedly smart children. A natural-born public speaker, Fox, can grab anyone's attention in the room no matter if they are a church-going granny or an educated college student. She can even make a grown person cry. But the fascinating thing about Fox is that she manages to keep her family together despite it all. One of the effects of mass incarceration is that it can break families apart. But Fox's commitment and love for her family gives her the power she needs to ensure that her children have a bright future. Thanks to her hard work, many of her children go to college and become successful people in their own right.
While Fox can tell one heck of a story, Director Bradley knows how to film one. Known for her cinematic approach to nonfiction filmmaking, Bradley brings a surprisingly tender tone to Time. Though the film is void of color, the black and white contrast gives the documentary a textured, if not romantic, feel. With gorgeous shots of the Angola Ferry and Fox's emotional speech at Tulane University, Bradley gives Fox's story the love and care it deserves. The filmmaker also utilizes Fox's home videos quite well. Combining over a hundred hours of home videos with original footage can be a daunting task, even for an experienced filmmaker, but Bradley weaves these elements with ease. The music also plays an essential role in the documentary. Blues instrumentals such as "Presentiment" and "The Story of the Wind" by Ethiopian pianist Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou helps tie the film to the Richardson's hometown of New Orleans.
Black, brown, and low-income families like the Richardsons do not get a fair shake in the criminal justice system. Yes, Fox and Robert made a terrible mistake. But their activism and ability to keep their family together show that redemption is possible. Sadly, the family's happy ending is rare. As stated, giving parents long-term sentences can cause unrepairable damage to their loved ones. Instead of relying on a system that punishes people, perhaps we can transform our criminal justice into a system of forgiveness. One way to do this is through a collaborative process called restorative justice. With restorative justice, victims, offenders, and community leaders can come together to figure out ways to repair and reduce the harm caused by crime. By talking things out through a mediator, people like Fox and Rob can learn from their mistakes, redeem themselves, and get their lives back on track while keeping their families intact.
Transforming criminal justice into a system of redemption is possible, but it will take a lot of work to get there. Thankfully Fox is helping people realize how mass incarceration negatively impacts families like hers. Along with Bradley's cinematic masterpiece, Fox and her family can inspire people, especially people in power, to improve criminal justice for the better.
The Richardson's story is not over yet. Click here to learn more about their mission to end mass incarceration in the United States.
