A Woman on the Outside

SYNOPSIS

By some counts, one in four American women have a loved one who has been incarcerated. For Black women like Kristal Bush, raised in the era of mass incarceration, that number is closer to one in two. This brave film tells a story about family, love, and how women on the outside care for themselves while caring for others.

A tenacious millennial with flair thicker than her Philly accent, Kristal Bush, 27, is a social worker, homeowner, and founder of Bridging the Gap, a van service that drives families--mostly women--to visit loved ones in faraway prisons. Kristal lives that life, too. Her father has been incarcerated for 25 years; her brother, Jarvae, for 11. Her eldest brother, Jabo, cycles in and out of jail, as do cousins and friends.

Following a loose three-act structure, this vérité film explores how the criminal justice system shapes nearly every slice of Kristal’s life, though she’s never spent a day behind bars. Beginning when Kristal’s father and brother are still incarcerated, the film captures the joy, frustration, and complexity that their release brings. Kristal anchors the narrative. Her mother, “Big” Crystal, and nephew, Nyvae, add dimension to her story. Interwoven are interviews and Kristal’s own cell phone videos, bringing texture and complexity to her millennial perspective. Kristal’s quest to adopt her nephew and give him a more stable life is a key story arc, culminating in a powerful resolution in the third act.

Filmed over four years, A WOMAN ON THE OUTSIDE is a deeply American story about the legacy of mass incarceration.