16 Bars is a feature-length music doc that offers a rare glimpse at the human stories — and songs — that are locked away in our nation’s jails and prisons. In a Virginia jail’s makeshift recording studio, four men collaborate on an album with Grammy-winning recording artist, Todd “Speech” Thomas, from the hip-hop group Arrested Development. With the U.S. locking up more of its citizens per capita than any other nation on the planet, the music of 16 Bars serves as rare testimony to the raw and messy truth behind the criminal justice system‘s revolving door.
The Filmmakers
Sam Bathrick
Director/Producer
Sam Bathrick began his career as a refugee caseworker in West Africa, interviewing survivors of war- a job that would ignite his passion for human stories. He fell in love with New York while producing "Run For Your Life", a doc about the enigmatic founder of the NYC Marathon and spent some wild years chasing musicians through the streets of cities like Tokyo, Istanbul and Miami for the PBS travel series "Music Voyager." In 2017 he directed his first feature documentary "200 Miles", a Tribeca Film Festival premiere about a seemingly impossible run. Sam lives in Brooklyn, is a father, husband, and partner at Resonant Pictures.
Workshop Date
January/February 2018
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Festivals & Awards
2018 DOC NYC
2020 Richmond International Film Festival