Skip to main content

Deep Dive: Serving Life (2011)

Play Trailer

Film Lens

Serving Life
Serving Life presents the hospice program at Angola prison in Louisiana, where inmates serve as caregivers for dying fellow inmates. The film is narrated by Forest Whitaker and focuses on the interactions between caregivers and patients, revealing the emotional depth of their experiences within the prison's maximum security environment. Angola prison is known for its long sentences, averaging over 90 years, which adds a unique context to the themes of empathy and redemption. The documentary captures the profound connections formed as inmates confront their mortality and reflect on their pasts. It emphasizes how acts of kindness can emerge in a setting typically associated with violence and despair, allowing viewers to witness the transformative power of compassion among those who have committed serious crimes.

Why Watch

  • •Meet caregivers at Angola prison in Louisiana.
  • •Find out how inmates confront mortality.
  • •See the impact of compassion in a prison setting.

Did You Know

•Angola prison is known for maximum security and long sentences over 90 years.
•The documentary is narrated and executive produced by Forest Whitaker.
•The film has a runtime of 85 minutes.
•The hospice program allows inmates to care for dying inmates.

Perfect For

Prison reform advocatesDocumentary enthusiastsHealthcare in prisons