By Ben Flanagan
al.com
LOS ANGELES — “The Alabama Solution,” a critically acclaimed documentary about Alabama’s prison system, earned an Academy Award nomination Thursday.
The film, co-directed by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman, chronicles the state’s maximum-security lockups using footage from inside prison walls taken by inmates on contraband cellphones.
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You can stream “The Alabama Solution” on HBO Max. It first premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
The filmmakers said the footage “exposes the inhumane conditions inside Alabama’s prisons.”
The film earned a nomination in the documentary feature category. Other nominees include “Come See Me in the Good Light,“ ”Cutting through Rocks,“ ”Mr. Nobody Against Putin” and “The Perfect Neighbor.”
The 98th Annual Academy Awards will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 15. Read the full list of nominees.
“The Alabama Solution” begins with filmmakers visiting a revival meeting at a south Alabama lockup in 2019, as inmates pull them aside to tell them about horrible conditions inside the facilities, which filmmakers were not allowed to enter and record, prompting a 6-year investigation.
The cellphone videos show leaking sewage, rats captured in water bottles, inmates sleeping on the floors of overcrowded dorms, people overdosing without medical attention, blood scattered across tile floors and more.
Some inmates filmed themselves to submit to documentarians or recorded their video calls with producers.
“Thanks to their work, the film is able to break through the veil of secrecy and bring the audience into a world that is otherwise inaccessible,” Kaufman said.
Birmingham -based journalist Beth Shelburne was a co-producer on the film.
“The Alabama Solution” marks just the latest Alabama connection to the Oscars. It’s state’s first appearance in the documentary feature category since RaMell Ross’ critically acclaimed “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” in 2019.
Other notable Oscar moments spotlighting the state include “To Kill a Mockingbird” winning multiple awards in 1962, Birmingham native Louise Fletcher earning best actress for “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in 1975, “Forrest Gump” sweeping the ceremony in 1994, and Montgomery’s own Octavia Spencer taking best supporting actress for “The Help” in 2011.
In Alabama’s biggest night at the iconic awards show, Birmingham -born Daniel Scheinert (with his filmmaking partner Daniel Kwan ) won several Oscars for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The film won seven total, including best picture, directing, original screenplay, actress ( Michelle Yeoh ), supporting actor ( Ke Huy Quan ), supporting actress ( Jamie Lee Curtis ) and editing ( Alabama -born Paul Rogers ). It led all nominees with 11.
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Ivana Hrynkiw contributed to this story.
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