Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in “Sing Sing,” has boarded Ben Rekhi’s documentary short “The Breakthrough Group” as an executive producer.
The film, which qualifies for Academy Award consideration, chronicles the journeys of formerly incarcerated individuals navigating a rehabilitation program. Undine Buka produced alongside Doug Blush, the two-time Oscar winner known for his work on “The Elephant Whisperers” and “Period. End of Sentence.”
The documentary takes viewers inside The Other Side Academy (TOSA), a Salt Lake City-based program that diverges sharply from conventional rehabilitation models. Participants commit to a rigorous two-and-a-half-year program that costs them nothing, with operations funded by the organization’s own businesses, including a moving company and thrift store. The film tracks four individuals going through the program along with one of its directors.
What sets TOSA apart is its peer-driven structure – no therapists or clinical staff are involved, only formerly incarcerated people guiding others with similar backgrounds. Those accepted into the program have typically faced arrest 15 times on average. The results speak volumes: graduates experience a return-to-prison rate below 20%, a dramatic improvement from the 70% national average – representing a 350% reduction in recidivism.
“The mission of this documentary speaks to a lot of the things that matter to me,” Maclin said. “In ‘Sing Sing,’ I got to tell my story of how I turned my negativity in the streets into something positive for other people. This film tells a similar story of people trying to rebuild their lives. Many of us who come home from prison, we feel as though we owe society. We may not be able to always balance those scales, but we have to keep trying. One of the ways to pay it back is by helping the next person out. That’s what I love about this film. It’s about not letting anybody on your team fail. It’s about holding not just yourself accountable, but everybody around you accountable too. This whole team has to win or we are all going to lose.”
The subject matter resonates personally for Maclin, who served 17 years at Sing Sing prison in upstate New York. During his incarceration, he participated in Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), experiences that shaped his acclaimed turn opposite Colman Domingo in last year’s awards season standout.
Rekhi, whose previous documentary “The Reunited States” was executive produced by Van Jones and Meghan McCain, said he connected with TOSA’s approach.
“As someone who struggled with addiction and depression myself over the years, I was blown away by TOSA’s groundbreaking interventions that are producing real results. Their singular approach is transforming the lives of people whom society had given up on,” he said. “We’re so honored to work with Clarence Maclin to bring this film to audiences. He embodies this transformation with every fiber of his being. From being arrested as a young adult, to paying his debt to society for nearly two decades, to being nominated for an Oscar for telling his true story, Clarence is living proof that no one is beyond the bounds of redemption, and that your past need not define your future.”
Blush came aboard after filming concluded, dedicating more than a year to shaping the final cut alongside the team.
“When I first saw what Ben and Undine had shot, I was in awe of the access they had gotten and the trust they had built with TOSA,” Blush said. “You’re right there with the characters as they push through their deepest, darkest moments. It’s really extraordinary. Recovery is tough work and we felt it was important not to sugarcoat any of it. There’s a moment in the third act where one of the characters makes amends with her family that just hits you right in the heart. For anyone who’s suffering from addiction, or knows someone who is, this is a story that proves that no one is beyond the bounds of redemption.”
Beyond his Oscar-winning projects, Blush’s credits include producing “Gamestop: Rise of the Players” and editing both “Icarus,” which won the Academy Award, and “Twenty Feet From Stardom.”
Rekhi’s other directorial work includes “Watch List,” an XYZ Films and Bron Studios production set in the Philippines that follows a young mother working covertly with police death squads during Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.
For “Sing Sing,” Maclin received an adapted screenplay nomination shared with Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley and John “Divine G” Whitfield. His acting work in the film brought recognition from BAFTA, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards, along with a Gotham Award victory. He’s just finished shooting the lead in “In Starland,” which marks British actor Ray Panthaki’s debut as a director and is currently in post-production.
“Part of the reason ‘Sing Sing’ popped was that it was so honest,” Maclin said. “It didn’t focus on the violence in the prison, or the corruption of the officers. Instead it was about transformation. That could happen anywhere. And that’s what this doc is about. Even outside the walls of prison people get locked up in their own beliefs. People think they’re alone in their suffering and so they don’t reach out for help. You know what I mean? And this film says you’re not the only one. We all go through it. I’ve been hurt many times. And if I can get my life back, so can you. That’s beautiful, man. I can’t wait for people to see it.”