Little Hope Was Arson: A Letter from a Texas Jail, Ben Lear Shows Reality and Human Face of Juvenile Justice System. (alumni participate in group gatherings called Writing Circles, where young people come together to share their work and talk). Press Check button. Do they deserve a second chance? Since the documentary was produced in 2013, the initial parole bill, SB 230, passed, along with other bills that decrease juvenile sentencing. We have a small favor to ask. It is true that they are children but they commited adult and serious crimes. Cowan saysthe juvenile justice system in California is broken. His face during this moment, the flicker of anguish and regret, is full of pathos. Wait for a couple of seconds to let the tool find matching parts. Stay in touch. They Call Us Monsters. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Juan, Jarad and Antonio at "The Compound," a high-security Los Angeles facility for juvenile offenders. Director Benjamin Lear . They Call Us Monsters Juan Gamez (Actor), Antonio Hernandez (Actor), Ben Lear (Director) Format: DVD 155 ratings IMDb 7.0/10.0 $2495 Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime & FREE Returns Prime Video $3.99 $10.99 DVD $24.95 Additional DVD options Edition Discs Price New from Used from DVD September 5, 2017 1 $24.95 $24.95 $19.87 They Call Us Monsters is a 2016 American documentary directed and produced by Ben Lear. Halfway through the class, Antonio returns to juvenile court and gets released with time served. Are there any TV or movies that would inspire you in trying to do your own film? The proposed bill. Over the course of a few months, Lear filmed Cowan working with three teenagers -- Juan Gamez, Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez -- who were awaiting trial, some facing sentences more than 100 years long. Meet the Monsters: Documentary Looks at California Juvenile Debate. I was more critical than anything, but I think that thats just the person I was at that time., Jarad:Yes, I was given the opportunity to watch the documentary and it was uncomfortable at first watching myself. While the film includes some touching moments, like Juans brief visits with his toddler son and a goodbye call to the girl he never expects to see again, it doesnt flinch from its subjects culpability. 2023 Independent Television Service (ITVS). Every bit helps. See production, box office & company info, Self - California State Assembly Member (D). "They Call Us Monsters" looks at societal issues such as the processing of juvenile offenders ages 14-16 in the criminal justice system as adults. , a new documentary that follows their lives in a Los Angeles juvenile detention center. But each successive measure has passed with more and more support., California seems to be well on the right path, but there are a lot of states that are much further behind in that conversation, he said. The show, which was created in partnership with InsideOUT Writers, features interviews and work from They Call Us Monsters goes behind the walls of the Compound, a high-security facility where Los Angeles houses its most violent juvenile criminals, to follow three young offenders who sign up to take a screenwriting class with producer Gabe Cowan as they await their respective trials. Since rehabilitation programs continue to be underfunded, the recidivism rate isnt likely to go down. They Call Us Monsters . I cant think of anything specific other than Im grateful so many people have embrace[d] our story and joined the prison reform movement (one way or the other). Meanwhile, the realities of Jarad and Juans crimes and pending trials set in. The Film. Its not an excuse by any means. They Call Us Monsters A Documentary Film Review 'The Call Us Monsters' is a documentary film in which the filmmakers are granted access to the Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar California. 7 talking about this. 1.7K Likes, 32 Comments. sonido original - joxls . You cannot punish trauma out of somebody. Encouraged by Cowan and his classmates, Juan ended up calling his 10 year-old crush inside the jail. Maybe it takes 15 years. To the system, they're adults. In other words, Lear does not gloss over what Jarad actually did to end up at Sylmar, yet the film questions both his draconian punishment and the way the, system continually punishes low-income, mostly African-American and Latinx kids. Juan:I find screenwriting and filmmaking very interesting, [e]specially for the power you can have of telling a story and raising awareness about certain topics. His answer Yes, but inside the jail is another jail articulates the Sartre-esqe morass of life inside a broken system, as do the ubiquitous signs on the walls that read "NO! sonido original - EL NIO DE FUEGO. - Juvenile Justice News for People Who Care About Children and the Law, Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava are the youthful offenders at the heart of . They Call Us Monsters. Im And in 2016, state voters approved a ballot measure that takes the decision on whether a teen should stand trial as an adult away from prosecutors and puts it in the hands of a juvenile court judge. Other stories Id like to tell I look around at the people around me and I see great stories of personal achievementsor overcoming struggles. sonido original - PABLO CS. The focus of InsideOUT is usually poetry and prose (alumni participate in group gatherings called Writing Circles, where young people come together to share their work and talk). sonido original - Antonio Hernnde4490. But we believe its crucial and we think you agree. Antonio, a methamphetamine addict, recounts seeing a man shot to death in front of him when he was 8, but insists hes not traumatized: I guess you do kind of get used to it. And when he was 12, Jarad found his stepfather trying to stab himself to death an unsuccessful attempt that nonetheless resulted in the breakup of his family. He went as research for a script, expecting to meet the kind of scary characters hed seen in the movies but instead, he found a classroom full of kids., When a kid arrives there, a lot of his baggage is temporarily stripped away, Lear said. Ben Lear makes his directorial debut with "They Call Us Monsters," a searing but sensitive documentary following the experiences of juvenile offenders through the justice system.His father, Norman, used the form of the sitcom to hold a mirror up to American culture, but Ben takes a more direct approach with his non-fiction work, and the intuitive observation displayed in this film shows . There is a delicate line between childhood and adulthood. Dont loose HOPE and have FAITH, I agree with you 100% Patty. ", But then, Jarad counters, No, Im not scared of the dark., Seems like youre avoiding the question, Cowan replies. "Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jara Nava are the youthful offenders at the heart ofa new documentary that follows their lives in a Los Angeles juvenile detention . We see excerpts from the result. goes behind the walls of the Compound, a high-security facility where Los Angeles houses its most violent juvenile criminals. Have you seen They Call Us Monsters yet and if so what was your reaction to seeing yourself in the film? were being prosecuted in adult courts every year, according to the Campaign for Youth Justice, which opposes the practice. HD. sonido original - Editorial Applehead. You cant punish trauma out of a child, you have to love it out of them, he says. Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all between 14 and 16, face decades in prison. Juan, who joined a gang before his 13th birthday as a way to gain respect, and who has been charged with fatally shooting a man three times at point blank range and says, "I really was a monster. The boys empowerment from the creative process of screenwriting sparked hope in both them and me. When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted. When Hernandez talks to the filmmakers at home, there are toddlers strewn all . TikTok video from Antonio hernandez (@edgar_heernadez). hey mickey baby tate - brae. The University of Redlands does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin,
Antonio admits he feels no remorse for his actions, and his promising new start sours soon after his release. Of course, aging out of crime and violence can also be offset by a prison culture that doesnt allow you to change. All rights reserved. To some, they're kids. Preview EXPLORE THE FILM About the Documentary They. [2][3], The documentary follows three young juvenile offenders who signed up for a screenwriting class with producer Gabriel Cowan as they await their respective trials in Los Angeles County. Seems like maybe youre afraid of the question.. Aiming to de-stigmatize California's incarcerated juveniles, a documentary entitled They Call Us Monsters sheds light on the lives of those incarcerated and the state's legislative debate over juvenile sentencing reform. Juan says, I really was a monster, and the film includes surveillance video of the killing that put him behind bars. PBS Independent Lens airs the film on Monday, May 22. The film follows three young offenders who sign up to take a screenwriting class with producer Gabe Cowan as they await their respective trials. He wrote that he is grateful so many people have embrace[d] our story and join the prison reform movement. While in prison, he is going to college fulltime and making strong grades. Antonio Hernandez is known for Los (2015) and They Call Us Monsters (2016). [1] The teenagers participate in a screenwriting class at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles, California with producer Gabriel Cowan. Even if he appears remorseless, there seems to be a softness there, or maybe just a deep need for approval. Theres not only capacity for change, theres also that oft-forgotten glimmer of a thing called hope. I havent done drugs in three years [as] opposed to getting high every day. I really was." To pass the time, they sign up for a screenwriting class and collaborate on a short film about their lives, including Juan's unrequited love for his childhood friend, Abigail. The documentary "They Call Us Monsters", takes inside a segregated unit for juveniles being tried as adults in Sylmar Juvenile Hall and introduces to three teenagers awaiting trial where they spend their days and nights waiting to learn their fate for their violent and gang related crimes. They Call Us Monsters, directed by Ben Lear (Norman Lears son), might seem like a straightforward advocacy documentary. Sorry your mother did what she did to you, it seems you are better off, Im sure it still hurts. "There's homies and there's enemies,"he says they told him. Be more independent. Their stories are framed by their participation in a screenwriting class taught by Gabriel Cowan, one of the documentarys producers and by the debate among California lawmakers over a bill that would grant young offenders with lengthy terms a chance at parole after 15 years. Justice is not to seek retribution or eye for an eye, but there were homicides what they did and must pay in that sense. Crime. There are many that we will not be able to save. (SB 260 calls this diminished culpability.), Obviously, there are no easy answers. The 2016 released documentary inspects the experience of three juvenile prisoners facing life time imprisonment in Los Angeles Juvenile Detention Centre. 1.7K Likes, TikTok video from antonio hernandez (@antonio_hernandezzz): "#fyp #foryou #foryoupage #trending #viral #foru #fyp". Their task is to create a screenplay that will be produced outside of the prison by their teacher. To pass the time, they sign up for a screenwriting class and collaborate on a short film about their lives, including Juan's unrequited love for his childhood friend, Abigail. Watch They Call Us Monsters (2016) full movie online for free Legislators debate legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders. Im guessing people probably think were still in the same mindset, and doing the same stuff. Cowan says that getting the teens to open up to him was a long and sometimes difficult process. Jarad, who will be eligible for parole in 2037, wrote in a letter to PBS that hes chosento leave the criminal lifestyle in my past and serve my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Juan is eligible for parole in 2027. The dark. 83%. The film documents one of his first visits, when he asksthe group to list their fears. whose mission is both to use creative writing as a catalyst for personal transformation and to reduce the juvenile recidivism rate by providing services for formerly incarcerated youth. You can look at that and say, OK, theyre obviously sociopaths. But what I would encourage people to do is peel a layer off, go a little bit deeper and entertain the idea that maybe theyre temporarily sociopaths, Lear said. What TV and movies do you watch in there? ", Jarad: I dont like snakes, theres a fear of heights, Im not scared of heights, but theres a fear. They Call Us Monsters. As Lear describes it, nothing could have prepared him for what he encountered once he walked into the prison: this was a classroom full of kids these were teenagers that are so obviously that age. It hit home because I grew up with a lot of In many countries children are used as hitmen, mainly because they are disposable, but also precisely because legal systems work different for them and that is not right. Advertisement. I dont know if its because I was acting like a fool. He references the movie Avatar, and says, I feel like I gotta be these huge blue people for them so at night when they dream of stuff they could be doing, I could be one of those huge, blue people.. By 2010, about 250,000 teens were being prosecuted in adult courts every year, according to the Campaign for Youth Justice, which opposes the practice. The plot emerged when the teens were talking about their fears. about brain development in teenagers that found the part of the brain that regulates judgment, decision-making and impulse control doesnt fully form until a person is in their 20s. By 2010, about. The teenage girl Jarad shot is paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Tru 01:00 6 Calling All The Monsters Jessica Jean 00:30 2168 A Monster Calls Read Hersh 01:00 10 A Monster Calls Clarity 01:00 0 You Call Us Monsters Benjamin Wallfisch 00:30 0 Thriii 01:00 2409 They Call Me Tiago (Her Name Is Margo) As we see them crafting a short film based on their experiences, Lear gives us access to their families and in one case to their victims stories, balancing the fresh faces we see at the Compound with the violent crimes that landed them there. To their advocates, theyre kids. University of Redlands Emergency Alert System, Alert Received: . Upload your text file or copy the materials to the field. Cowan had the idea to starta screenwriting class for juvenile offenders after he gave a talk toincarcerated youth while working on another screenplay. We meet Jarad (arrested at 16), Antonio (at 14), and Juan (at 16) when theyre about to be tried, each facing 90 plus years in prison. Maybe it takes 10 years. Summary. This is precisely the case of the three main subjects of Lears documentary. 14 deaths from dangerous dog breeds. Im not that 17 or 18-year-old boy anymore. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. These are perfect examples of the way the justice system has decided to treat young men who commit violent crimes as adults. I must say God is good despite where I came from, God has me living in the now looking forward and learning from the past. In Jarads case, he'll likelycome up for parole in 20-25 years, instead of the 80 or 90 years he would have had with a 160-year sentence. Antonio, 14, is the most studious. , would allow juveniles to become eligible for parole earlier in their sentencing, after serving at least 15 years. However we have to give them the opportunity to change the monster in them by teaching them that there is good in every bad situation. Still a teacher for InsideOUT, he has abandoned the Hollywood bromance in favor of Good Films, his new feature-film company whose mission is to tell stories with racial and social-justice themes. Without affect, the girl asks if hes in a detention center. 7.0 1 h 21 min 2016 X-Ray 16+. This means these kids could get a second chance. Eventually, police were able to identify the suspect as 19-year-old Antonio Hernandez. He receives a letter from Jarad. Was there anything that tripped you out or that you learned about yourself after watching the movie? Antonio: Fear of trust, fear of being alone, fear of public speaking, and fear of vulnerability,, Juan: Death, loneliness, darkness, and love. Antonio was being charged for 2 attempted murders and facing 90 years to life. A part of PBS, America's Home for Documentaries, We thought viewers of Ben Lears They Call Us Monsters may be interested in hearing from the young men featured in the film. 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