You are here:

The Farm: Angola, USA

Name: The Farm: Angola, USA
Director: Jonathan Stack, Liz Garbus
Released: 1998
Duration: 88 min

Representation Score

5.2/10

Fair

1998

Director

Jonathan Stack, Liz Garbus

Runtime

88 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The Farm: Angola, USA is a compelling social-realist documentary that centers the voices of those within the American penal system. Its main strength lies in its candid exploration of racial and systemic power dynamics, offering a critical view of the prison-industrial complex. However, the film's scope is limited by the demographic realities of its setting. The hyper-masculine environment leads to a lack of LGBTQ+ and female perspectives, narrowing the range of gender representation. Overall, the film offers a crucial examination of institutional dysfunction. It goes beyond simple punishment to highlight how socioeconomic and racial inequalities are perpetuated through state authority.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Farm: Angola, USA have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on a hyper-masculine environment where there are no visible LGBTQ+ characters or stories about non-straight relationships.

How does The Farm: Angola, USA portray gender?

Limited

The film portrays a strict, traditional male-dominated structure. Women and diverse gender expressions are not represented due to the prison's demographics.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Farm: Angola, USA?

Excellent

The documentary highlights a predominantly Black inmate population, challenging typical media depictions of the American South. It emphasizes the intersection of race and the penal system.

How does The Farm: Angola, USA represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film critically examines Western institutional systems. It presents the American penal system and its economic foundations as inherently oppressive structures.

Does The Farm: Angola, USA include disability representation?

Fair

The film showcases the connection between mental health issues and the physical strain of incarceration. Psychological distress is shown as part of a larger systemic issue.

Present on Screen

Highlights a predominantly Black inmate population, challenging typical media portrayals of the American South.
Provides a nuanced critique of the prison-industrial complex and Western institutional frameworks.
Empowers characters of color, making them the emotional core of the film.

Limited or Absent

Does not include LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight relationship narratives.
Lacks representation of women's ability to drive the story or diverse gender expressions.
Addresses mental health and disability as systemic issues rather than through individual experiences.

Official Synopsis

Documentary depicting day to day life in Angola Prison mostly from an inmate's perspective. Interviews are with several inmates including one with a life sentence who is about to die.

How are these scores produced? →