STORIA, a certified NPO in Sendai City, holds a screening of 'Prison Circle' to promote a loving and compassionate world

• Certified NPO STORIA will be holding a screening of the film 'Prison Circle' and a cross-talk lecture with the director and representative at the Sendai Mediatheque on December 22nd and 23rd, 2023.
• The screening event aims to provide an opportunity for the general public to learn about the current situation of STORIA's projects for children and parents facing difficulties.
• 'Prison Circle' is a documentary film that explores the 'Therapeutic Community (TC)' program in a Japanese prison and follows the lives of four young inmates as they go through rehabilitation.

Certified NPO STORIA will be holding a screening of the film 'Prison Circle' and a cross-talk lecture with the director, Kaoru Sakagami, and the representative, Sasaki, at the Sendai Mediatheque on December 22nd and 23rd, 2023. The background and current situation of the projects that STORIA is working on for children and parents facing difficulties are not easily visible, and it seems that the general public does not have the opportunity to know about them. This screening event aims to provide an opportunity for many people to learn about the current situation, as well as to deliver the positive vision that 'everyone is born with great potential' and the efforts of Sendai City and STORIA.

We would be very happy if we could strive for the desired vision together with everyone who attends the screening. The screening of 'Prison Circle' will take place on December 22nd and 23rd, with two showings each day. There will also be a cross-talk session with director Sakagami and representative Sasaki.

The event will be held at the 7th floor Studio Theater of the Sendai Mediatheque. The admission fee is 1,000 yen per person, and advance registration is required. The event is organized by the certified NPO STORIA and supported by Sendai City.

'Prison Circle' is a documentary film titled 'The Real Reason We Are Here'. It is a documentary that took 6 years to obtain permission for coverage and spent 2 years filming inside Japanese prisons for the first time. It introduces the 'Therapeutic Community (TC)' program, which is a new prison facility based on dialogue between inmates and explores the causes of crime and promotes rehabilitation.

The film focuses on the 'Shimane Asahi Social Rehabilitation Promotion Center', which is the only prison in Japan that has introduced the TC program. In addition to facing the crimes they have committed, such as theft, fraud, robbery causing injury, and manslaughter, the inmates must also confront bitter memories from their childhood, such as poverty, bullying, abuse, and discrimination. The film follows the lives of four young inmates as they go through the TC program and develop new values and ways of living.