Moath al-Alwi has never been charged with a crime, but he has spent over 19 years at the U.S. military detention camp in Cuba. “A Ship From Guantánamo,” a six and a half-minute Op-Doc video, tells the story of the art he makes to survive — and escape.

Despite the limited materials available within the prison, Mr. al Alwi builds elaborately detailed ships out of found materials like dental floss, prayer beads, sponges and old T-shirts, often given to him by other inmates and even guards. “I want people to know that we can make beautiful things,” says Mr. al-Alwi, “even in a place like Guantánamo.”