- Inmates at the Utah State Prison recently created a documentary, "Breaking Chains," showcasing prison life.
- The film, funded by the "One Kind Act a Day" initiative, highlights six inmates' personal stories.
- "Breaking Chains" has already won the Audience Choice Award at the Utah International Film Festival, and aims for a global release.
SALT LAKE CITY — A groundbreaking documentary, conceived, filmed and produced entirely by inmates at the Utah State Prison, is giving the public an unprecedented look at life behind bars.
The film "Breaking Chains" follows six incarcerated men and women as they confront their pasts, reflect on their choices and work to rebuild their lives.
The Utah Department of Corrections collaborated with the "One Kind Act a Day" initiative to secure funding and equipment for the inmates. The result is a raw, emotional film that highlights a little‑known educational program operating inside the prison.
The documentary opens with a stark confession from participant Casey Vanderhoef.
"When I was first incarcerated in 2021, I had no more answers, I had no more solutions," Vanderhoef says in the film. "I knew I was broken in a way I couldn't fix."
Vanderhoef, now living in a halfway house as he completes his sentence, says revisiting his past on camera wasn't easy.
"There are certainly regretful decisions, and sometimes embarrassing, that are definitely part of my story," he explains.
The project was coordinated from outside the prison by filmmaker and educator Bo Landin, who says the decision to have inmates interview one another created a level of honesty he didn't expect.
"It's authentic. It's raw. It's emotional," Landin says. He admits he became emotional himself while transcribing the conversations. "I think that is important because it is their voice. They are telling us a story."
The program began with roughly 18 to 20 students learning the fundamentals of filmmaking, storytelling and production.
The "One Kind Act a Day" initiative — created by philanthropist Khosrow Semnani — donated the professional equipment used to make the documentary. The Semnani Family Foundation will now support an ongoing media program integrated into the prison's career‑training and productive‑time initiatives. Semnani hopes the effort encourages compassion in a place where it can be hard to find.
"Human nature is born with kindness," Semnani says. "But in prison, it's not there."
For Vanderhoef, the experience has been transformative.
"As I look back at the mistakes that were made, I have some regret and embarrassment," he says. "But I have a lot more gratitude."
Semnani says he recently spoke with Attorney General Pam Bondi about expanding the program nationally, potentially bringing similar opportunities to prisons across the country.
"Breaking Chains" debuted at the Utah International Film Festival and won the Audience Choice Award. Landin now hopes to promote it at film festivals worldwide in hopes of getting it in theaters for the public to see.
