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Title: Juvenile Justice: The Road to Reform
Runtime: 8 min
Country: USA
Director: Evan Glass + Gandhi Brigade Youth Media
Being Considered For: Best Short Film + Best Documentary
Synopsis: It was a turbulent spring of 2015 as protesters and rioters took to the streets of Baltimore expressing their frustration with the justice system.
Fifty miles away in Silver Spring, MD, seven high school students watched the scene unfold and asked themselves why it happened. What were the factors that lead to this situation, and more importantly, what could be done to make our youth safer in the communities where they live?
This documentary was conceived and produced in five weeks during the summer of 2015 by the members of Gandhi Brigade Youth Media. It includes interviews with Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh and two young men who were detained in the system.
The youth producers shot all the original video, personally interviewed all the subjects, created the graphics and conducted all the research. The narrator is Yonatan Mengesha.
About Gandhi Brigade Youth Media: Gandhi Brigade Youth Media is a pioneering after school program that empowers young people in the Washington, DC region to use multimedia as tools to promote community building, multicultural understanding and the common good.
We offer young people the opportunity to use the media arts as a developmental path for personal and community growth. First, we teach students how to create effective media messages. Second, we invite them to investigate the world around them. Third, we create opportunities for them to apply these new skills and abilities toward practical projects that foster dialogue and understanding.
OR: What was the inspiration for your film?
EG: The high school students in our after school program spent a considerable amount of time talking about the protests and riots that took place in Baltimore during the spring of 2015.
The seven young filmmakers who produced this film are all juniors and seniors attending Blair High School in Montgomery County, MD. Each are immigrants or first generation American, which provided them with a genuine personal interest in our criminal and juvenile justice systems.
This inspiration eventually transformed itself into a documentary examining the inequities that exist among government spending on schools and prisons, through the eyes of two youth who are had been in detention centers for crimes they committed.
OR: When did you conceive the idea for your film and how long did it take before it was realized?
EG: We spent two days discussing topics for our film. One youth wanted to produce a documentary about the high cost of college, while another was interested in asset seizures by law enforcement. We also reflected on our conversations about Baltimore. After much deliberation, all agreed to confront the juvenile justice system.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of working in a short film format?
EG: Given the nature of our project – to produce a documentary in five weeks – we were actually very comfortable with a short film format.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of your production?
EG: The most challenging aspect of filmmaking was the condensed time frame. Our summer program lasted only five weeks, which meant that we had to select a topic, plan, research, shoot and finish post-production all within that timespan. It was tough, but thankfully the seven students were all committed to the project and making sure it was completed within the five weeks.
OR: Do you have any advice for first-time filmmakers?
EG: Be passionate about your subject matter.
