Taking Off the Mask

With Taking Off The Mask the main challenge was to detail the horrors of sexual violence in prisons and the systemic problems that allow for this violence to exist, yet still tell a tale of hope. Isak Sass' s terrifying journey through the South African justice system and his amazing resilience are the main elements that carry this documentary and point us towards this sense of hope. In the narrative, I also aimed at looking at the larger systemic and historical contexts which have allowed for the high levels of violence and incarceration that we are seeing in places like the Western Cape, South Africa. Ultimately we owe it to Isak for bravely sharing his story and committing himself to make prisons safer for inmates, particularly those who are vulnerable to sexual assault. As Just Detention International reminds us: "Rape should not be part of the penalty."