Conbody vs Everybody

Of the 650,000 prisoners released annually in the US, roughly two-thirds end up back in prison within three years. Former drug dealer Coss Marte wanted to buck the trend. When he returned to his family on New York’s Lower East Side after a long prison sentence in 2014, he was determined to build a legitimate life for himself. He opened the CONBODY gym in his neighborhood with other former inmates. Clients here are taught condensed, intense workout routines developed within the confines of a prison cell. Coss also offers other former prisoners the chance to reintegrate into society by providing them with paid employment as trainers. Granik documented this extraordinary project over the course of eight years (2014–2021), focusing on several key figures. Structured in chapters, the documentary bears witness to many adversities: pervasive racism, discrimination, rapid gentrification, the pandemic, the risk of relapse—but also to a growing community of solidarity supporting one another despite all of this.