Ab Film Review & The Last New Wave

When documentarian Shalom Almond received access to document a group of women prisoners training retired greyhounds to become house-friendly pets for her 2017 film Prisoners and Pups, she opened up a door to be able to capture the hidden stories of women prisoners in Australian jails. Prisoners and Pups is a gentle film that shows the power of rehabilitation programs in prisons, not just for the prisoners, but also for the greyhounds.Now, in 2025, she is back with her essential documentary Songs Inside. Here Shalom captures the lives of women in the Adelaide Women's Prison, becoming part of their lives for six-months as she documents their participation in a music program which sees prisoners learn how to play the ukulele, write songs, and sing, all in preparation for a performance with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in front of 200 inmates. The climactic performance became the largest concert staged within an Australian correctional facility.Along the journey, Shalom sits in the cells of the prisoners liste