The Brooklyn Rail

Prison Films and the Idea of Two Worlds

On the southwest corner of Washington Square Park, the logic of the carceral state plays out over a game of chess. Nahshon Thomas, an aging black man with thick, plastic-rimmed glasses, invites passers-by to come to the chess table, and a young, white teenager takes up the challenge. The older man sits with steady posture—a testament to his confidence and calm focus. He takes a drag from his cigarette as he makes his next move.