Dreaming Beyond Punishment

Samora Pinderhughes performs Rituals for Abolition at The Kitchen in New York, NY. Photo Credit: Walter Wlodarczyk

In a dark green jumpsuit, a man in his early twenties sits at what resembles a prison visiting room table in a living room in Queens, NY. It’s a chilly evening in October 2025, and, surrounded by sheets and lights to reflect bar-like shadows on the room’s front wall, he’s looking at a family picture. A rendition of Dinah Washington’s soaring anthem “This Bitter Earth” begins to play, and the entire film crew is silent as they watch him. Offscreen, a choreographer calls out to the man: “How does your body feel with this grief?” He becomes rigid, his back straight, fists clenched, and arms outstretched, struggling.