Ah-Satan, the thesis project of MFA graduate Ashley York, employs a database cinema and historiographic approach to create a unique spin on the traditional documentary. Ah-Satah tells the story of six individuals who were implicated in a murder as teenagers and sentenced to life in prison. In this installed project, a collection of hundreds of pieces of evidentiary material, including personal interviews, local news reports and the police files – are projected on multiple surfaces throughout a controlled immersive space. A live “mix” of the media by York makes each showing of the project unique, and allows for a new constant reorganization of the various narrative threads that make up this tragic story.

This project has continued to grow since Ashley’s graduation… in December of 2006, Ashley was awarded the A&E IndieFilms Documentary Finishing Grant… this money will help her complete this project for release as a feature-length film.