Inside the Brooklyn Public Library, a woman sits at a long table in front of a television screen, a microphone, speaker, and camera set before her. She is waiting to speak with her son. Video Visit documents a pilot program between the library and the New York City Department of Corrections in which family members can see their incarcerated loved ones via free video calls.  

These tele-visits provide an opportunity for connection without the distressing challenges of travel and in-person visitor protocols. Following the stories of two mothers and their sons, director Malika Zouhali-Worrall also documents the team of librarians who facilitate the program and prioritize agency and dignity as they shape the experience of participating families. Working against the pressure of shifting policies at the Department of Corrections and a rapidly expanding for-profit prison telecommunications industry, they must negotiate the conflicting values of the library and the Board of Corrections to keep families together.  ST 

Filmmaker Q&A available

Closed captioning available