‘Prison was the first place we felt sisterhood’: six women return to the ruins of Holloway

In an astonishing new documentary, former inmates go back to the cells that once held them – and reflect on what led them there in the first place. The result is a powerful indictment of our justice systemThe directors of Holloway use a simple but powerful visual device to demonstrate how badly the British prison system is failing the women it incarcerates. Towards the end of their eponynmous documentary, six former inmates are invited to play a version of Grandmother’s Footsteps in the chapel of the deserted ex-prison, where they have been filming for five days.They begin lined up against the wall and a voice tells them: “Step forward if you grew up in a chaotic household.” All six women step forward, before being instructed: “Step forward if you experienced domestic violence growing up.” Again, they move ahead in unison. “Step forward if somebody in your household has experienced drug use. Step forward if you grew up in a household where there wasn’t very much money. Step forward if a member of your family has been to prison …” Continue reading...

Comments

Culture

13 ‘cursed’ horror films – from tragic on set deaths to mysterious ‘haunted’ props

Metro

Comments

Similar News

R Kelly’s lawyers seek release from custody over claims prison officials are trying to have him killed

Watch Me Whip rapper sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing his cousin

Site of first purpose-built prisoner of war camp saved by Historic England funding

TV tonight: a horrifying look inside the prison walls of the Assad regime

A British TV art expert who sold works to a suspected Hezbollah financier is sentenced to prison

Tom Girardi, estranged husband of Real Housewives star Erika Jayne, sentenced to seven years in prison

Julie Chrisley’s prison life as a ‘card shark’ revealed days after freedom bid update

Joe Exotic says he’s been ‘left to die’ in prison after news of Trump’s Chrisley pardons

Man who stalked radio DJ avoids prison

Torture and Tres Leches in Iran’s Most Notorious Prison

Cannes awards Palme d'Or to former Iranian political prisoner

Armorer jailed after Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer on Rust set is released from prison

Armorer jailed after Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer on Rust set is released from prison

Kim Kardashian's robbers found guilty in Paris but won't face prison time

Thai music icon Sek Loso sentenced to nearly three years in prison

‘I think of those I left behind in prison’: Iran’s Jafar Panahi on life as a banned film-maker

Drake pushes for Tory Lanez to be pardoned after prison attack

The man who stabbed author Salman Rushdie on stage has been sentenced to 25 years in prison

Rushdie attacker sentenced to 25 years in prison

Man who attacked author Salman Rushdie is sentenced to 25 years in prison

Culture

13 ‘cursed’ horror films – from tragic on set deaths to mysterious ‘haunted’ props

Air India's sole crash survivor narrates his escape

Eric Dane shuts down question about ALS diagnosis, reveals which role made him feel like an artist

Clarkson’s Farm star Kaleb Cooper says he’s ‘not good’ after painful injury

‘Chilling’ horror with 91% on Rotten Tomatoes soars up Amazon Prime chart

‘Prescient’ painting of Oasis singers Liam and Noel Gallagher at height of ‘tension’ to be sold for £2m

Alex Cooper’s alma mater responds after she accused college soccer coach of sexual harassment

Billy Connolly reflects on memories of his youth in new artworks

Artist Scott Naismith opens new exhibition at Morningside Gallery, Edinburgh

Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal’s ‘seductive’ Materialists earns 88% Rotten Tomatoes score

Army aims to build, repair drones 'in-house' as 3D-printing revolution accelerates

Keira Knightley reflects on negative consequence of Pirates of the Caribbean films

WWE icon The Undertaker forced to undergo secret lifesaving surgery

Ditch your weekend plans to watch ‘addictive’ Italian crime thriller on Channel 4

Yung Filly faces further sexual assault charges in Australia

Tom Fletcher forced to apologise for ‘insensitive’ post shared after Air India plane crash

Rivals author says she’d be ‘embarrassed’ to act in front of sex scene intimacy coordinators

Star Wars boss attends rare screening of original A New Hope cut to calm fan concern

Liam Gallagher makes moving Oasis admission ahead of reunion shows

If you think Sabrina Carpenter’s album cover is ‘disturbing’, you need to get a grip

WWE wrestler set to make her acting debut alongside former Marvel star Jonathan Majors

Westlife star missing from shows as band share ‘important news’

Kim Cattrall says Sex and the City character Samantha isn’t a nymphomaniac

‘Funniest show on TV today’ is finally available to stream for free

Wynne Evans shares full apology video which he claims BBC ‘cut short’

L.A. was first. Now it's your move, America.

I Wish I Made That: Mary Randolph Carter

Mel Brooks makes Spaceballs 2 announcement with cast set to include rarely seen star

White Lotus star reveals husband’s shockingly supportive reaction to her kissing Tom Cruise on their honeymoon

Mark Wright apologises for ‘inappropriate’ post after Air India plane crash

'My kids are the reason I'm alive': Backstage with Shakira

I’ve repressed anger all my life – one book changed that

Van Morrison’s new album might just win back the fans he’s lost

AJ Tracey: ‘People thought I was posh… you don’t know the half of it, bro’

The best new books out in paperbacks in June 2025

Sian Gibson: ‘I’m in crisis about turning 50. I want my 25-year-old body back’

Rapper Yung Filly faces two new sexual assault charges

Neil Young sounds like a rambling one-man band on Talkin to the Trees

Van Morrison’s new album Remembering Now is a sensational return to adequacy

From homelessness to filmmaking: Daisy-May Hudson on her furious new film Lollipop

Marvel star asked for name to be removed from Thunderbolts credits

Inside the Jury Room at the Weinstein Trial, Rancor and Recrimination

Review: Jean Smart, Gritty and Poetic in ‘Call Me Izzy’

‘And Just Like That …’ Season 3, Episode 3 Recap: An Expensive Date

Sam Fender hits the target at first of homecoming gigs

Nine works by Alasdair Gray go on display at Kelvingrove for first time

Glasgow Women's Library becomes first in Scotland to earn UK sanctuary award

Meta files lawsuit to stop app that creates fake non-consensual nude images

Massive Google Cloud outage disrupts popular internet services

Twin Peaks: David Lynch’s graoundbreaking show now available to stream in its entirety

Eric Dane tears up in emotional interview after heartbreaking diagnosis

Brian Wilson and Beach Boys’ Style Showed What California Living Looked Like

What if A Christmas Carol was a horror film? That’s exactly what’s happening from Warner Bros

LCD Soundsystem honour Brian Wilson and Sly Stone at residency’s opening night

The Pitt star gives shoutout to ‘Black and brown’ co-stars after magazine cover sparks criticism

Mel Brooks makes Spaceballs 2 announcement with cast set to include rarely seen star

‘The Survivors’ Is a Polished and Potent Murder Mystery