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Songbirds

Play trailer Songbirds 2005 1h 20m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 5 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Documentarian Brian Hill, poet Simon Armitage and composer Simon Boswell collaborate with female inmates at Downview Prison in Sutton, England, to document their social histories in song. Inmates sing of their lives before prison, including childhood abuse, domestic violence, struggles with addiction, and their own personal failings. The film explores issues of victimhood and criminality, while recasting its condemned subjects simply as women with stories to tell.

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
John Anderson Variety Through the musical numbers, Songbirds achieves an artistic and emotional clarity that all the talking-head interviews in the world could never produce. Jan 26, 2006 Full Review Dennis Harvey SF360 Songbirds is tough-mindedly striking on several levels. Its protagonists seem not exploited or manipulated, but fully engaged by their curious autobiographical mini-musical opportunity. Mar 30, 2016 Full Review Amber Wilkinson Eye for Film The film clearly raises questions about the nature of sentencing in the UK - two "duped" drug mules, for example, are serving a mind-blowing 18 years. Rated: 3.5/5 Dec 7, 2007 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 4/5 Jan 24, 2006 Full Review Eric Campos Film Threat Audiences will be in for a unique experience featuring some of the rawest musical numbers you're bound to see for a good long while. Rated: 4/5 Jan 23, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews
Songbirds

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Movie Info

Synopsis Documentarian Brian Hill, poet Simon Armitage and composer Simon Boswell collaborate with female inmates at Downview Prison in Sutton, England, to document their social histories in song. Inmates sing of their lives before prison, including childhood abuse, domestic violence, struggles with addiction, and their own personal failings. The film explores issues of victimhood and criminality, while recasting its condemned subjects simply as women with stories to tell.
Director
Brian Hill
Producer
Katie Bailiff
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 20m