The first OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network original documentary airing on the network narrated and executive produced by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker.

Watch the trailer for "Serving Life"

"...demonstrates how the most broken lives can find meaning in quotidian displays of compassion." – The New York Times
 

"Serving Life" documents an extraordinary hospice program where hardened criminals care for their dying fellow inmates.  In doing so, they embark on a journey that may end in personal rehabilitation.  The volunteers are trained, pushed and tested.  Some fail, but some succeed and discover that the human touch can reach the soul. "I thought maybe if I helped somebody else," one inmate says, "that would help relieve some of the guilt."  The film is produced by Lightworks Pictures in association with KPI.  Executive producers include Nick Stuart and Molly Fowler.  The film is produced and directed by Lisa R. Cohen.

Reviews

• New York Times - "Oprah's Network Goes to the Movies"
• TV Guide - "OWN's 'Serving Life' is Affirming" 
• The Washington Post - "'Serving Life,' prisoners discover the meaning of death"
• Splash Magazines - "Best Documentary Film of the Year!"
• Examiner - "Essential viewing for any student of compassion and humanity."
• Praise Richmond - "OWN's 'Serving Life is Documentary at its Best"

"'Serving Life' reveals the humanity that exists inside each and every one of us. In the Angola prison's hospice, we meet inmates who decide to take an opportunity for redemption, reminding us of the connection that exists between each and every human being." –Forest Whitaker, Executive Producer and Narrator of "Serving Life"

"Serving Life" documents an extraordinary hospice program where hardened criminals care for dying fellow inmates. Narrated and executive produced by Academy Award®-winner Forest Whitaker, the film takes viewers inside Louisiana's maximum security prison at Angola, where the average sentence is more than 90 years.

Watch the Sneak Preview Reactions from the Compassionate Action Network screening.