Gabriel London's The Life and Mind of Mark Defriest tells the incredible disheartening true story of Mark DeFriest who was once known in Florida as the Houdini of convicts, for his ability to break out of multiple facilities in Florida. After being declared sane by a psychiatrist, Mark finds himself sent to Florida State Prison, the most notorious prison in the state. The Life and Mind of Mark Defriest is a seering portrait of the correctional system, exposing how a mentally disabled individual was abused due to negligence on recognizing his potential psychosis. The same pschiatrist becomes Mark's ally against a gigantic beaucractic systlem that desperately needs an overhaul. The Life and Mind of Mark Defriest shows how the correctional facilities way of punishment clashed with Mark's psychosis, creating a perfect storm of conflict that saw Mark escaple multiple times by producting weapons out of pipes and spare parts. What makes this film so remarkable is simply how interesting Mark Defriest is as a man, an incredibly intelligent individual who made mistakes but certainly didn't deserve the treatment he received. Mark Defiest is such a fascinating man, and the film really begs the question of what he could have achieved if his life whent a different way. Using interviews and some beautifully rendered animation to depict Mark's struggles in Prison, the film is a haunting and emotionally poigant experience. Exposing the failures of the correction system and parole commsion, The Life and Mind of Mark Defriest is a constant reminder that we still have a long way to go in this country when it comes to mental illness.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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