Synopsis:

Spanish for “the jewel,” La Joya is the name of a Panamanian prison built on a former U.S. military base, and it is described as Hell on Earth.  Hosted by prominent Panamanian rock musician Lilo Sanchez, this gritty documentary provides an exclusive inside look at the deplorable conditions of a jail in which the rehabilitation of its inmates is not a primary focus.  The problems of overcrowding, unsanitary practices and near-constant threats of violence are daily realities for the prisoners of La Joya, some of whom have waited two years to be tried for their crimes.

Executive Producer: Abner Benaim  

Director: Abner Benaim

Writer: Abner Benaim & Guido Bilboa (researcher) 

Cast: Lilo Sanchez…Host

Background:

La Joya is presented as the first entry in a documentary series titled La Otro Lado, or The Other Side.  This series explores and illuminates aspects of Latin American life that most people have chosen not to see.  A native of Panama City, documentarian Abner Benaim has studied film in Israel and Cuba and received his undergraduate degree in international relations at the University of Pennsylvania.  He is based in Panama City, where he is currently in pre-production on his next project, the documentary Maids and Bosses.  A true Renaissance man, Benaim speaks English, Spanish, Hebrew and Italian and for several years worked as an entrepreneur in Panama, founding a chain of art and frames retail stores.

Why did you shoot this pilot?

“La Joya, in a sense, represents everything that could be wrong in the Third World, and most of it is hidden from the general public,” said Abner Benaim.  “We wanted to change that by showing people what La Joya looks like from the inside.”