Cheryl Dunye
Stranger Inside follows Treasure Lee’s quest to reconcile with her lost mother, all of which happens inside a women’s prison.
Treasure is in juvenile prison, and learns that her mother is in an adult prison, in order for her to meet her she must continue to stay in trouble, so she can get transferred. Rumour has it, her mother, Brownie, is a force to be reckoned with. She’s queen bee, and pretty much runs the prison. She has ties with several inmates as well as wardens, who follow her orders. Once they meet, Brownie takes advantage of her estranged daughter, who has fought so hard to finally meet her. Treasure gets sucked into her mother’s manipulative games, even at times when she doesn’t want to. But, since they have a familial bond, Treasure obeys.
However, once Brownie is plotted against by a traitor, she ends up in hospital. Treasure is keen to donate blood to her mother, but ends up learning more about her mother, once its revealed that they don’t have the same blood type.
Dunye’s televised drama exposes the harsh reality of the politics that exist within prisons, and the extent to which some inmates go to, to get what they need to survive.
Stranger Inside
director CHERYL DUNYE
year 2001
director of photography NANCY SCHREIBER
cast YOLONDA ROSS, DAVENIA MCFADDEN, RAIN PHOENIX, ELLA JOYCE and CONCHATA FERRELL
words PRIYESH PATEL
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