In 2015, two convicted murderers escaped from maximum security Clinton Prison in Dannemora, New York. After three weeks on the run, one inmate was apprehended - - the other shot dead.
Gaining nation-wide attention, Ben Stiller pitches the idea to Showtime to film a docuseries on the escape, casting Benecio del Toro, Paul Dano, and Patricia Arquet.
Stiller's Emmy-nominated production reached millions of viewers but failed to capture the most intriguing story of Clinton Prison.
And that story is - -
Gates of Dannemora is an inspiring, fact based story of how one man's vision and tenacity to build the first free standing church within the walls of Clinton Prison became a reality.
In the aftermath of the Great Depression, Clinton's notorious inmate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, plus the grit of two hundred fellow inmates overcame insurmountable odds to build an 8,000 square foot Gothic Church.
Led by the newly assigned Catholic chaplain to Clinton Prison, Father Ambrose Hyland views this audacious endeavor as a way to recast oppressive prison life into a Journey towards hope and renewed life.
GATES OF DANNEMORA reveals in its six parts, short succinct chapters that will shift your perception of inmates from society's outcasts to unmined gems when given the opportunity to unearth their potential and hidden talents.