Hold That Weight (2020)

The Hold That Weight film is about the work that goes into trying to re-acclimate to home life and society when released from prison; battling thoughts, trying to navigate a way forward; and battling a prison system that traumatizes those it incarcerates and then gives no thought to what happens after people are released. It is also about the people that rally behind you, support you, make sure you feel love, everything you were missing when you were incarcerated. What does it really look like to support each other in difficult times? The Hold That Weight film is loosely based on the real lives of the 2 main actors, Lucas Monroe and Michael Barrett. The film's director Daniel Pfeffer and the 2 main actors have known each other pretty much their whole lives growing up in Ithaca, NY - this film was shot in Ithaca in the places where they live and work. In Lucas's words: "Being a returning citizen is something that needs to be addressed so much more - it's not talked about openly as much as it needs to be. We need to show people with family lives, who are struggling and make mistakes and should be allowed to learn from those mistakes and grow."