Watch A Place to Stand

A Place to Stand is a deeply moving, emotionally charged documentary film that explores the life and work of Jimmy Santiago Baca, a renowned poet, writer and activist from New Mexico. The film takes its title from Baca's critically acclaimed memoir, A Place to Stand, which recounts his journey from a troubled childhood marked by abuse, poverty, and criminal activity to his current status as a celebrated artist and advocate for social justice.

The story of Baca's life is told through a combination of archival footage, interviews with family members and colleagues, and dramatized reenactments. The film is structured around Baca's return to prison, where he had spent much of his youth and early adulthood, to deliver a series of workshops on writing and self-expression. As he works with the prisoners, Baca reflects on his own experiences and the transformative power of the written word. The film weaves together his observations with testimony from former inmates whose lives have been changed by his teachings, as well as from community leaders and literary luminaries such as Luis J. Rodríguez and Denise Chávez.

One of the defining themes of A Place to Stand is the redemptive power of creativity. Baca credits his passion for writing with helping him to survive the traumas of his past and to find a path forward. Through his workshops, he seeks to share this power with others, encouraging them to find their own voices and to confront the systemic injustices that have brought them to prison in the first place. The film is both inspiring and heartbreaking, capturing the raw emotion of Baca's interactions with the inmates and the stark reality of life behind bars.

At the same time, A Place to Stand refuses to shy away from the darker aspects of Baca's life and story. Throughout the film, we see him grappling with the painful memories of his childhood and his struggles to overcome drug addiction and other personal demons. The documentary is unabashedly raw, with moments that are uncomfortable and difficult to watch. However, it is precisely this unflinching honesty that makes the film so powerful, as it reveals the courage and vulnerability that underlie Baca's work and his advocacy.

Overall, A Place to Stand is a truly remarkable documentary that tells the story of one man's journey from hardship to triumph, while also exploring larger themes of social justice, creativity, and the human condition. It is a film that will stay with viewers long after the credits have rolled, inspiring them to consider their own capacity for transformation and the power of the written word to heal and transform.

A Place to Stand is a 2014 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 26 minutes.