Cocaine Prison - Festival Laurels and Awards

Cocaine Prison

From inside one of Bolivia's notorious prisons, a cocaine worker, a drug mule, and his little sister reveal the country's relationship with cocaine.

Streaming Soon

About the Film

From inside one of Bolivia's notorious prisons, a cocaine worker, a drug mule, and his little sister reveal the country's relationship with cocaine. Cocaine Prison puts into perspective the War on Drugs and the lives of the 'disposable' people and questions the effort to incarcerate cocaine workers while banks worldwide have unfettered potential to launder billions of cocaine dollars every year.

Filmed in Bolivia — including inside the notorious San Sebastian prison — over five years, Violeta Ayala's film provides a ground-level view of the international drug trade through the eyes of its foot soldiers: a drug mule, his sister, and a cocaine worker.

Press

"One of this year's most striking testimonial films"

The Globe and Mail

"Compellingly Kafkaesque"

Filmmaker Magazine

"Passionate compelling & fascinating"

She Does the City

"Pretty Incredible"

Nonfics

"Powerful & moving"

Unseen Films

"Truly Unique"

Vice

"Fascinating & heartbreaking"

In Review

Watch the Trailer

Credits

A United Notions Film

Directed by Violeta Ayala

Poduced by Dan Fallshaw

Featuring Deisy Torrez, Hernan Torrez, and Mario Bernal


Premiere: Toronto International Film Festival 2017

Shown in cinemas in France 2019/20

Broadcast on PBS 2020