FREI

As teenagers, they were inmates in a juvenile detention center in Thuringia, Germany. Thirty years later, they reflect on their perception of freedom—then and now. Their stories unfold through voice-over narration, accompanied by visual presentations of self-chosen objects that symbolize different phases of their lives, displayed as if they were historical artifacts.

I can vaguely remember:
It was nighttime.
Into some building.
"Where are you, anyway?"
First, I sat down.
Then, I thought:
"Now you're in jail.
What have you achieved?
Nothing."

You're not dependent on anyone.
The officers were replaced.
And the system was: the stronger one wins.
And I was never one of the weakest.

What I miss from that time is quite simple:
People who stay true to their word.
In there, the spoken word was all that counted.
Because it was all we had.

Some people are freer in prison than many out here.
So many live under pressure.
I have to do this job, I have to provide for my family.
They’re often no happier than some people
who live without those constraints.