Directed by Nathan Fagan, with animation direction by Natasza Cetner, trapped in the never-ending horror of prolonged solitary confinement, three prisoners seek comfort and escape in the boundless vistas of their own imaginations.
Many would have chosen to make this documentary quite simply, with the subjects straight to camera in a by the book style but Nathan Fagan chose to do something different. It’s a fantastic choice because the use of animation opens up this topic to a whole host of different tones and possibilities. It allows the emotions to take the forefront, to not be overwhelmed by the harsh reality of these recollections.
In that sense, Fagan manages to build what is almost a hopeful edge, in how he interprets the subjects use of imagination. How having that ability to escape to another world in their mind was a saving grace to the deprivation of solitary confinement. Holding onto a fraction of hope instead of simply allowing themselves to be swallowed into that black hole of isolation. It’s an unusual air to create but enhances the connection with the audience, creating a strongly sympathetic atmosphere.
Although that’s not to say it doesn’t still have a grasp on the gravity of this topic. Fagan simply chooses a more emotional avenue to explore the deeply harmful nature of solitary confinement. Inside, the Valley Sings does not need a brow-beaten, downtrodden tone, to express how prisons are commonly structured to facilitate punishment and not rehabilitation. Fagan captures the intense damage done to the psyche through extended periods of isolation, and how it can fracture the chances of inmates to transition back to everyday life once they are released.
All of which is wrapped up in some fantastic animation work, it’s simple yet layered. There’s something familiar in its hand-drawn style and the way that it moves but it also feels original. The measured use of colour to accent the animation strongly feeds into that emotional nature, it adds a lot of personality and a surprising amount of warmth but still captures a sense of sadness.
Inside, the Valley Sings steps away from the usual approach to bring empathy and emotion to the forefront. Portraying the damage of solitary confinement through the avenues that inmates use to hold onto their sanity and hope. It strikes an interesting, unusual balance and manages to establish the poignant issue while keeping the focus on the subjects with a highly personal tone.
FilmCarnage.com 