Pack Strap Swallow

Just caught this doc on the sundance channel and loved it. The raw camera footage fit well with the subjects. The camera shots and subject movements/dialogue were poetic at times. I disagree with the last comment on how the USA and European relationships should have been exploited more. Their background or country origin doesn't matter, they are all stuck in the same place for EXACTLY the same crime. They were all naive girls who trusted the wrong guy, dealing with the situation and adjusting to the prison lives is the heart of the film. What made it unique besides the cinematography is the girls reflections on the past and their own identity, this is what made me like the film. I hope she does a sequel; I believe three of the main characters are already out of jail.

I just saw this movie on On Demand and it was riveting. The story of foreign girls getting caught trafficking drugs through the various methods described in the title is heart breaking and grounding. The movie is best when it allows the women to be open and honest about life in the prison and their past mistakes. Each woman's story is remarkably similar and told in such a sweet, regretful tone that I couldn't help but feel increasingly sympathetic for them. I really liked a scene near the end with two women talking in their room. Chalene, an Australian, and one of the older women in the group, talks about how she should have listened in her past and then the conversation shifts to the younger woman. It seems like such a scripted, poignant moment, and it is real.

Who knew visiting a prison in a third world nation while on vacation would lead to not only so many great stories, but also a fresh new angle in the war on drugs?

Great characters, great material, fascinating story, but the flow is just not there yet... could use another pass with a sharper eye for narrative flow before calling it a final cut.

That said, if you have the opportunity to see this film (I saw it at the Hot Springs Doc Fest), go see it, it's well worth your time.

Come one! The bit about the connection between the two prisoners from two different countries is barely touched upon. This could be great, get back to work!