Petra Volpe presents Frank & Louis at Locarno Film Festival
Director Petra Volpe explored the landscape of a maximum-security men’s prison in her English-language debut film, Frank & Louis, collaborating with real inmates and drawing inspiration from the California Men’s Colony, reported on October 18, 2026.
Gold Coats Program Inspires Film Project
The project originated from research conducted by co-writer Esther Bernstorff regarding the “Gold Coats” program at the California Men’s Colony located in San Luis Obispo. The initiative involves younger inmates caring for older prisoners suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. Volpe traveled to the facility in 2014 with cinematographer Judith Kaufmann to conduct initial interviews, returning in 2017 to review the script alongside the incarcerated men.
Volpe described Frank as a very gloomy character, hardened and destroyed by the system, and noted that the film tells how he becomes a human being again and finds some lightness thanks to care work with Louis.
The narrative centers on Frank, a convicted murderer serving time in a high-security facility who requests a double portion of soap upon entry to carve small figures for his cell. Hoping to shorten his sentence through good behavior, he joins the care program and is assigned to Louis, an older inmate who struggles with memory loss and aggression. Actor Kingsley Ben-Adir portrays Frank, while Rob Morgan takes on the role of Louis.
Cast Preparation and Inmate Consultations
To prepare for their respective roles, the cast and crew engaged in discussions with former and current prisoners. Ben-Adir and Morgan held Zoom conversations with incarcerated men to understand the daily realities of long-term imprisonment. Morgan also spent time observing actual patients suffering from Alzheimer’s alongside two couples.
Locarno Film Festival Reception
Following a morning press discussion at the Hotel La Palma au Lac during the Locarno Film Festival, Volpe, Ben-Adir, and Morgan presented Frank & Louis on the Piazza Grande.
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