Life After Lockup: Gerjuan's Journey Continues

From behind bars to behind the cam

Last we heard from Gerjuan Harmon, he was on his way to experiencing his first day as an officially enrolled student of the New York Film Academy (LA campus).

I caught up with my prison pen pal-turned-released from prison phone pal him after his first two weeks in the program to get a life update, a conversation presented here for your aural pleasure as Episode 09 of The 40-Year-Old Podcaster.

After a trip down memory lane with Grandma Mary and a tangential appraisal of Indian women, Gerjuan details his physically-exhausting and mentally-draining public transit routines as struggles to maintain housing security and opens up about the financial pressures and family stresses he’s been facing since his release.

Gerjuan has been splitting time between Lancaster and Pasadena — schlepping three hours each way by bus

Despite the challenges surrounding his current situation, Gerjuan’s clear-eyed perspective and steadfast perseverance is keeping his spirit strong as he soldiers on in pursuit of his dream of becoming a filmmaker. He excitedly discussed his class projects and giddily expressed his eagerness to share examples of his early work with me, including a black and white photo set and a “mise-en-scène” edit.

One of the six photos salvaged from Gerjuan’s damaged film roll

Each conversation with Gerjuan is a revelation. The humility and grace in which he is able to accept his life’s circumstances comes through in each story he tells, as does the demonstration of his seemingly endless reserve of resourcefulness and self-determination. I ended this call with Gerjuan feeling like his spiritual qualities had imprinted on me, elevating my awareness of universal humanity and expanding my capacity for compassion.

Gerjuan at dinner with some of his new friends from the Film Academy

I love this man. We continue to talk regularly and we even met up in person for the first time — A STORY TO BE TOLD IN A FUTURE EPISODE! In the meantime, we are planning a larger creative collaboration and artistic endeavor to help Gerjuan financially support himself through this delicate period, post-incarceration.

If you are interested in hearing more from Gerjuan as he documents his reintegration after serving over a dozen years in state prison, please like this post, drop a comment, share with friends, and stay tuned for a whole lot more in store.

Director Gerjuan “GeCue” Harmon’s first ever slate