Bradley Beesley’s Oklahoma prison rodeo documentary to debut Sept. 17 on Cinemax
For inmates in OklahomaUs federal penitentiary system, the Oklahoma State Prison Rodeo, the world’s only behind-the-walls prison rodeo, is a once-a-year opportunity to escape the numbing routine of life behind bars.
Three years ago, women were allowed to participate for the first time and in marquee events like bull riding and bronco busting, the girls proved every bit as tough as the boys.
Directed by Oklahoma native Bradley Beesley, ”Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo” chronicles the journeys of 2007 rodeo hopefuls, male and female, as they prepare for the best of times in the worst of places when the Cinemax Reel Life presentation debuts at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17 exclusively on Cinemax. The documentary was an official selection at the 2009 South By Southwest Film Festival and opened Oklahoma City’s 2009 deadCenter Film Festival.
The film will air again on Sept. 25, according to a news release.
Since 1940, the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester has held an annual prison rodeo. Part Wild West show, part coliseum-style spectacle, this relic of the American penal system is a tradition for the prison and community at large. Prisoners compete on wild broncos and bucking bulls, risking severe injury while friends, family and others cheer them on. For the female hopefuls and male competitors like 14-year rodeo veteran Danny Liles, the chance to battle livestock offers a brief respite from prison life.
“Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo” goes behind prison walls to follow a group of female inmates (and a few male prisoners) on their journey to the rodeo. In the state with the highest female incarceration rate in the country and 80 percent of women prisoners are mothers many share experiences such as broken homes, drug abuse and alienation from their children. Crystal Herrington, an inmate rodeo rookie, hasnU’ seen her son since he was a few months old. She declares herself a changed woman, saying she wants “to get out and pick him up.”
As inmates prepare for dangerous rodeo competitions, the boredom of unchanging days, the tension of parole hearings and the longing for family remain constant. The rodeo means more than simply battling livestock. It’s a chance to leave their crimes behind and become heroes, however briefly.
Among the inmates spotlighted in “Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo”:
- Rhonda, who grew up in foster care after her mother went to prison for selling drugs, has followed in her mother’s footsteps. While serving a seven-year sentence for using and manufacturing methamphetamines, she works towards completing a college degree, hoping to make a better future for herself and her children.
- Brandy (RFoxyS) spent most of her life on the streets or in foster care after her mother fled when she was 12 years old. Serving a 20-year sentence for possession of a firearm and trafficking methamphetamines, she is searching for the family she lost 10 years ago.
- Crystal, like many other female offenders, followed her mother’s path to incarceration before age 20 and finds the rodeo offers a sense of purpose. Serving a ten-year sentence, she emerges as one of the top competitors.
- Jamie suffered a childhood of physical and mental abuse, and was sentenced to 30 years for murder at age 17. In prison she has completed a college degree, self-published her memoir and mothered a son whose father is a prison trustee.
- Danny, who has served 26 years of a life sentence, is the “old man” of the rodeo after competing for 14 years. He acts as a mentor to teammates and provides poignant commentary on surviving the penal system.
In a world where counting time is a way of life, eight seconds the qualifying score in bull riding, the most popular rough-stock event becomes the most important time in the world. Though serious injuries are common, the danger is not enough to deter these fierce contestants, who are vying for bragging rights as well as prize money. Ultimately, the male participants learn that the women deserve to be considered equal competitors.
Following its Cinemax premiere, the film will be screened inside prisons as part of an outreach campaign to explore rehabilitative and educational programs.
Bradley Beesley has directed nine feature-length films, including six documentaries, a concert movie and a science fiction narrative. His films include “Okie Noodling,” “The Fearless Freaks,” “SummerCamp!” and “The Creek Runs Red.” Beesley has collaborated on numerous music videos with Oklahoma City-based band The Flaming Lips and recently teamed up with the band’s leader, Wayne Coyne, to make the sci-fi film “Christmas on Mars.”
“Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo” was directed by Bradley Beesley; produced by Bradley Beesley, Amy Dotson and James Payne; executive producers, Julie Goldman, Krysanne Katsoolis and Caroline Stevens; original music by Jason Quever; cinematography by Alan Novey; edited by Louisiana Kreutz.
-BAM
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Comments
Presumably, the film will not contain any of the extreme cruelty to the horses and calves perpetrated by the inmates of Oklahoma Prison in the name of so-called ‘rehabilitation’ that I have seen. Didn’t think so..
Steve, don’t be so miserable! Livestock experiencing pain is hardly unique to the prison rodeo. Be happy that the rodeo brings purpose to the lives of many who would otherwise have none. Useful skills are learned which help to better prepare some prisoners for release.
The prison system isn’t full of useless no-hopers, as you might imagine. It’s full of ordinary people, like you and me, whose lives went terribly wrong (often at a young age) and who one day the authorities will deem fit for life on the outside. Anything that the prison service does to create more rounded and socially adjusted individuals is of benefit to society and should be lauded. Let’s hope that the Oklahoma prison rodeo returns, bigger and better than ever, in 2011 after the budget problems of 2010.
i was in the audience and was shown in the documentary with my son and husband and would like to obtain a copy of the show. please let me know how i would go about this. thank you.