'Art vs. Prison'
Fri/15, Artists' Television Access

ARTISTS' TELEVISION ACCESS presents a film and art program that offers plenty of reasons to get fired up about the state of injustice in our justice system. In addition to hosting a slide show about the life of Mumia Abu-Jamal and a talk by UC Berkeley professor Ruthie Gilmore on the prison-industrial complex and the new economy, ATA is showcasing art by political prisoners held in U.S. jails, such as Leonard Peltier, Marilyn Buck, Laura Whitehorn, and Tom Manning. Films and videos about prison issues include "Truth to Power," raw but effective footage of women prisoners testifying about inadequate health care on the inside. Some of the freshest perspectives come from young videomakers: "Life in da Small Town," by Tonga Vulipola, is a personal look at a Pacific Islander dealing with racism, jail, and life in East Palo Alto; "Lil' Paypa," by Menlo Park teenager Sanipepa Malimali, offers an imaginative self-portrait of a young woman who has been in and out of institutions and is now using the tools of video to reflect on her past and her hopes for the future. The centerpiece of the video presentations has to be Harun Faroki's "I Thought I Was Seeing Convicts," which features incredible footage from inside California prisons, including their own security tapes. This is outlaw media at its most thought-provoking, showing us illicit physical contact between prisoners and visitors and the fatal shooting of several prisoners. A live musical performance from Oakland hip-hop artists Company of Prophets rounds out the evening. Suggested donations of $5 and up go to benefit the defense fund of Abu-Jamal. 8 p.m., 992 Valencia, S.F. $5. (415) 824-3890. (Summers Henderson)