Director Gabriel London recently joined the International Documentary Association to discuss his newest film, “The Mind of Mark DeFriest.” The conversation was the latest entry in IDA’s discussion series, in which the organization interviews filmmakers behind the year’s most important documentaries about their process and finished product.
The official synopsis for “The Mind of Mark DeFriest” reads: “Once known as Houdini for his multiple and improbable jailbreaks, Mark DeFriest was condemned to Florida’s worst prison after a lone psychiatrist reversed four court appointed psychiatrists and declared Mark was faking mental illness. Over 30 years later, Mark is still struggling to understand how to survive a rigid and unforgiving system, while his remaining supporters forge an unlikely alliance to argue for his freedom in front of the Florida Parole Commission.”
Watch the highlights from the IDA conversation below.
Why Production Took 13 Years
How Storytelling is a Catalyst
On How Mark Found Him
On Prison as a Punishment-Based Atmosphere.
READ MORE: 6 Keys to Getting Your Documentary Out into the World
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.