Prison Beauty Contest

Pirajui is a small city with only 25 000 people and three prisons with 1500 prisoners in each prison. Most of the female convicts in Pirajui prison are because of drug. Some of them did it for money, but the others did it for love, helping their boyfriends or husbands. GRAZIELLA FERNANDA COSTA (45), the director of Pirajui prison, decides to bring back self-esteem to female convicts with organizing a prison beauty contest. The Beauty Contest will give back the female inmates goals, pride and steps towards improving their self-esteem. Prison beauty contest is a welcome diversion from the monotony of life inside the bar. For 4 weeks, convicted women get a chance to transform from poor Cinderella to the beautiful princess.

The beauty contest could be seen as some sort of revolt against the prison uniform. The movie follows three characters JOYCE competing for Miss Spring, ANGEL competing for Mister (transgender category) and SUELI competing for Miss Plus size.

Director’s statement:

Couple years ago, my Brazilian ex -girlfriend explained me about the culture differences between European prisons and Brazilian. I still remember how I was really struck and amazed that Prison Beauty Contest in Brazil helps female convicts to get back their lost self-esteem. Taking off prisoner’s uniform and putting on dress and parading helps prisoners helps to feel human. It shows that they're capable people, that independent of the crime, they are a part of society. I would like that the prisons around the world start making such events which would help prisoners. If we're going to hope that prisons are more than just temporary holding stalls for criminals bound to return there and are instead facilities that could foster change, then maybe it's time we treated non-violent prisoners like people again. And maybe that means a tiara every once and awhile.