HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - Educational Media Reviews Online | RECOMMENDED ★★★ - Video Librarian | RECOMMENDED - Library Journal | BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - San Diego Asian Film Festival
Criminal Justice • Men’s Studies • Mental Health • American Studies • Indigenous Studies • Pacific Islander StudiesDate of Completion: 2017 | Run Time: 79 minutes | Language: English | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript | Director: Ciara Lacy | Producers: Ciara Lacy & Beau Bassett
Shipped thousands of miles away from the tropical islands of Hawaii to a private prison in the Arizona desert, two native Hawaiians discover their indigenous traditions from a fellow inmate serving a life sentence. It's from this unlikely setting that David and Hale finish their terms and return to Hawaii, hoping for a fresh start. Eager to prove to themselves and to their families that this experience has changed them forever, David and Hale struggle with the hurdles of life as formerly incarcerated men, asking the question: can you really go home again?
Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO) | Reviewed by Brad Eden, Ph.D., Independent Scholar and Librarian, Valparaiso, IN
"This film looks at the criminal justice system and incarceration policy in Hawaii with regard to its native population. Native Hawaiians who break the law, especially those who are male, are shipped thousands of miles to a private prison in the Arizona desert to serve their sentences. Disturbing statistics indicate a negative bias and an over-representation of native Hawaiians as inmates or parolees. Two men caught in this web of ethical and criminal prejudice are profiled as they attempt to reintegrate themselves back into Hawaiian society after their incarceration in Arizona. I highly recommend this movie for higher education classes in criminal justice, men's studies, indigenous studies, and Pacific Islander studies."
Video Librarian ★★★
T. Keogh
"Lacy’s access to so many personal moments behind bars and in the lives of her two subjects is remarkable. A powerful documentary, this is recommended."
Library Journal | Joshua Peck, Pioneer Library System
"Out of State follows a small group of men on their shared journeys inside and outside prison. Recommended for all libraries in Hawaii and with Hawaiian populations."
Asian/Pacific/American Institute at NYU | Amita Manghnani
"Out of State is a gripping portrayal of life for Native Hawaiians under U.S. occupation, and within the U.S. criminal justice system. Through the stories of David and Hale, the film weaves together some of the most critical issues of our moment -- mass incarceration, rapidly growing economic inequality, Hawaiian sovereignty, and Indigenous cultural resurgence. Out of State is a powerful teaching and organizing tool to further understanding of the way that empire both operates and is resisted."
CINEMACY | Morgan Rojas
"Exposing the wisdom and hardships they gained throughout their turbulent journey, Out of State is a film worth rooting for... Ciara Lacy is a native Hawaiian and her approach in humanizing and sympathizing with convicted criminals is a testament to her directorial skills."
Yerba Buena High School | Student Testimonials
"The film was great, it gave me insight as to what it's like in prison and how it changes people's lives. It gave me a whole new view on the Hawaiian culture because of how dedicated they can be to their culture. I liked the performances and am now wanting to watch one live. I felt sympathy for those who changed. It's sad that they learned about their culture in prison. This made me think about the world's whole colonization problem. The movie overall was interesting and kept my attention."
"I enjoyed watching Out of State because everyone tells me if you go to prison you'll never be able to get back on your feet but this movie shows that they’re wrong. You can get back on your feet."
"Out of State was a great film, because it has serous topics that I feel like our community can relate to like drugs and incarceration, and to me personally I have some family members that have gone through it. The film is also great because it shows that people can change and you don't have to let your past determine your future."
Independent Lens Audience Award
Liberty Bell Award | Hawaii State Bar Association, Young Lawyer’s Division
Best Documentary Feature Film | San Diego Asian Film Festival
Best Made in Hawaii Feature | Hawaii International Film Festival
World Premiere | Los Angeles Film Festival
Special Jury Prize for Artistic Vision | Portland Film Festival
SCREENINGS
UCLA & Sundance Institute
Indigenous Showcase
Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
Monroe Correctional Center
Director & Producer of OUT OF STATE and Director of THIS IS THE WAY WE RISE
Ciara Lacy is an award winning native Hawaiian filmmaker whose interest lies in crafting films that use strong characters and investigative journalism to challenge the status quo. Ciara holds a BA from Yale University, and graduated from Hawai`i's Kamehameha Schools. She is a Lecturer at the University of Hawaii West Oahu in the Academy of Creative Media, and has spoken around the country at schools on native storytelling, women and film and using media to empower communities. She recently directed and produced OUT OF STATE, a film that follows two native Hawaiian inmates who have been shipped thousands of miles away from the tropical islands of Hawaii to a private prison in the Arizona desert where they learn their indigenous traditions from a fellow inmate serving a life sentence. It's from this unlikely setting that David and Hale finish their terms and return to Hawaii, hoping for a fresh start. Eager to prove to themselves and to their families that this experience has changed them forever, David and Hale struggle with the hurdles of life as formerly incarcerated men, asking the question: can you really go home again? Ciara’s documentary work has shown in theaters and has aired on PBS, ABC, TLC, Discovery, Bravo and A&E. She is honored to be the inaugural Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellow and a current Princess Grace Awards Special Project grantee. She has been a fellow with Firelight Media's Documentary Lab, the Sundance Institute and Time Warner Foundation, the Sundance Institute’s NativeLab, the Princess Grace Foundation, and IFP.
Producer of OUT OF STATE
Beau Basset is an award winning native Hawaiian filmmaker and attorney whose GOOD TALKS focus on the intersections of Hawai`i’s justice system, storytelling, and native Hawaiian culture. Beau recently produced OUT OF STATE, a film that follows two native Hawaiian inmates who have been shipped thousands of miles away from the tropical islands of Hawaii to a private prison in the Arizona desert where they learn their indigenous traditions from a fellow inmate serving a life sentence. It's from this unlikely setting that David and Hale finish their terms and return to Hawaii, hoping for a fresh start. Eager to prove to themselves and to their families that this experience has changed them forever, David and Hale struggle with the hurdles of life as formerly incarcerated men, asking the question: can you really go home again? In 2006, Beau created his first short film, TEWETEWE, for PBS broadcast. TEWETEWE quickly gained the interested of the Sundance Institute, leading to Beau’s acceptance as a 2008 Sundance Institute NativeLab Producing Fellow. Beau has practiced law as a Deputy Public Defender, representing a wide array of clients in Honolulu's criminal courts. An active member of the native Hawaiian community, Beau is a graduate of the Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, is fluent in the Hawaiian language, and is an experienced Hawaiian language translator. He is also certified in ho`oponopono, a native Hawaiian form of dispute resolution, by the Queen Lili`uokalani Children’s Center.