Date of Completion: 2021 | Run Time: 58 minutes | Language: English with English subtitles | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript & Study Guide | Directors: Tamara Perkins & Jason Ritchie | Producers: Tamara Perkins & Jason Ritchie
REBOUND follows two women from starkly different circumstances as they rebound from incarceration and seek refuge and opportunity in academia. Struggling to recognize their worth and still reeling from years of trauma, these aspiring scholars navigate personal and financial insecurity, motherhood, and their own healing. As each leaps into the pursuit of higher education and self-transformation, they each find acceptance, sisterhood and hope for a new life.
Educational Media Reviews Online | Erica Swenson Danowitz, Chat Reference Librarian, Independent Contractor at Hosting Solutions & Library Consulting (HSLC); Retired Professor/Reference Librarian, Delaware County Community College
"Rebound is recommended for both college and advanced high school levels. ... It would support many academic courses including criminal justice, education, sociology, psychology, trauma studies, and women’s studies."
SF Adult Probation Department | Victoria Westbrook, Reentry Policy Planner, Women’s Gender Responsive Coordinator
“Rebound is incredibly inspirational! As a formerly incarcerated woman, it was amazing to see two women whose stories paralleled my own and that of so many other women in our community. We want everyone to know that we do recover and are more than capable of becoming contributing members of society on the other side of prison!”
Oakland Museum of California | Linds Young, Education Developer, Learning, Experience & Programming
"Rebound presents the stories of justice-impacted women with great care. What struck me the most is Perkins' ability to provide space for these women to tell their stories of liberation through education honestly and openly. The film paves the way for us to see the humanity of these women without reducing them to the harmful tropes often seen in media about incarceration."
San Francisco State University | George Turner, MA, Director, Project Rebound, Associated Students
“I have worked with and known many women who were system involved but I never had an opportunity to take an in depth look at their experiences. Women who have been system involved have a huge amount of pressure and different obstacles than men. The approach to reintegration for women can be very diverse based on their needs, which may include nurturing, healing and ability/willingness to trust. We would be remiss if I didn't mention the level of focus and strength women bring to the community. Thank you for all the hard work and time put into this piece of art. I recommend this story to all that are interested in improving quality of life. Great film.”
Doris Fendt, MS | College & Career Counselor, Project Rebound, Associated Students, San Francisco State University
"Finally - a movie that focuses on the challenges that incarcerated women face. Too often, women and their traumas are neglected. Frequently, this dynamic leads women to become incarcerated in the first place. The movie tackles some of these issues head on, and does not romanticize the reentry experiences of women. Just getting out is not enough. Women need support, resources, empathy and compassion to move from survival to thriving. Mental and emotional health cannot come from education alone, but it can help women to help themselves to navigate the difficult time after incarceration. A beautiful and inspiring film. Highly recommend.”
C. Jason Bell, MS | Director of Programs, CSU Project Rebound: Consortium, Associated Students, San Francisco State University
“Rebound was greatly needed. The film takes the time to highlight the often overshadow stories of two women who get themselves on track by relearning to navigate life after prison through positive support systems — that should not be kept secret but instead should be shared with all who truly want to make use of them. It is important to see first hand the selflessness in their struggle so that others can identify and learn from then. This is an important story that needs to be shared.”
Director & Producer of REBOUND & CLARISSA'S BATTLE
Tamara Perkins is an award-winning filmmaker and changemaker focused on stories that inspire transformative change through dialogue, healing and advocacy. She founded Apple of Discord Productions in 2006, connecting media, activism and healing through programs such as the Wisdom Project and San Quentin Media Project – which trained at-risk youth and incarcerated men in filmmaking as a tool for transformation.
Perkins’ film Life After Life (2018) began in her yoga class inside San Quentin State Prison when the men asked her to tell their story, and continues to be a catalyst for learning and advocacy nationally. Justice impacted herself, this film provides an often overlooked proximity in storytelling. Rebound (2021) and her upcoming film, Clarissa’s Battle (2022), were each similarly inspired by a personal connection to the subject matter. Her recent feature script melds present day social, moral, and ethical questions with a Woman-driven SciFi Thriller. As a national speaker, Perkins’ repertoire spans from filmmaking to prison reform and human rights. She is a recipient of Evident Change’s Media for a Just Society Award. Perkins received her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is an adjunct faculty at Skyline College. Perkins' work has become a catalyst for change, learning and advocacy for some of our nation's most misunderstood and overlooked issues.
Director & Producer of REBOUND
Through the voice of personal experience, filmmaker Jason Ritchie is a storyteller driven by the struggles of his own life. Ritchie was incarcerated for over 17 years in the California prison system and has overcome drug and alcohol addiction. Ritchie used education for his personal rehabilitation, and believes it to be a crucial contributing factor for success in Re-entry and Recovery.
Post-incarceration, Ritchie has gone on to graduate from SDSU with an Interdisciplinary BA in Film, Journalism, and Art, and was accepted into a Master’s program in Learning Design and Technology. Ritchie has spoken on H&I (Hospitals and Institutions) panels for Alcoholics Anonymous, at the Salvation Army ARC (Adult Rehabilitation Center), participated in and led circles of healing for Project Rebound. Ritchie has participated in both live and virtual panels, a guest speaker for the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison, and has been on podcasts Finding Freedom, and Positive Connections Radio.
Ritchie now helps others tell their stories of incarceration and addiction in the hopes of bringing awareness that these issues do not discriminate. Ritchie Co-Directed and Produced the film Rebound, about two formerly incarcerated women who graduated from San Diego State University and are going on to earn their Master’s and Ph.D. Rebound is now airing on KPBS and went national on PBS for Women’s History Month (2022).
Ritchie is dedicated to aid in the continued progress of educating the formerly incarcerated, and bring awareness that amazing life transformations are possible through education and community connection. Jason is living proof of this.