They are locked up in a separate guardhouse, where legal actions will be served on teenagers in the same way that they are served on adults. Juan tells Cowan and his classmates how he was going to give the real Abby a poem but he never got the chance. The show, which was created in partnership with InsideOUT Writers, features interviews and work from Antonio Hernandez & Omar Montes 01:00 220 They Call Me Monster Mike Monster Mike Welch 01:00 1 What They Call Us? 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! This documentary, directed by Ben Lear (the son of legendary TV producer Norman Lear), is one of the few I have seen to . I was raised by the juvenile system thanks to a mother who really didnt wanna be a mom anymore and thats putting it nicely That states legislature also eliminated the chance of life-without-parole sentences for all but a few juvenile offenders and made more young inmates eligible for early parole. Also, people who have done enough time in prison age out of violent crime in their thirties and forties. The Center aims to discover new ways to produce financially sustainable, high quality and ethically sound journalism via applied research, collaborations and advancing innovative projects. Do they deserve a second chance? 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 . See production, box office & company info, Self - California State Assembly Member (D). ENGLISH. To the system, theyre adults. I used laughter as a mask to shield myself and others [from] my reality. "[It's] the loss of innocence of this kid, who in this one day, nearly loses his virginity, smokes pot for the first time, gets kicked out of his house, sees a drive-by shooting, and all while trying to tell this girl that he loves her.". It is true that they are children but they commited adult and serious crimes. The short film, LOS, was written by Juan Gamez, Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez. The dark. Without affect, the girl asks if hes in a detention center. Director Benjamin Lear . Prior to his imprisonment, Antonio was an honor roll student and he seemed like the perfect student up until his arrest. [1] The teenagers participate in a screenwriting class at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles, California with producer Gabriel Cowan. Watching this documentary would lead one to realize that the society plays an important role in the prevention of juvenile delinquency. One week they would open up and trust me, and another week they would be joking around and sort of making me the villain., Cowan gave the teensliberty to choose what they wanted their film to be about. Of course, I would like to participate in activities like those even though Im incarcerated. On Wednesday, July 12th, Sol Collective hosted a film screening of the Netflix documentary "They Call Us Monsters" The film features three boys, Jarad Nava, Juan Gamez, and Antonio Hernandez, who are all facing life sentences for murder or attempted murder and work together to write a screenplay about their lives before they were incarcerated. I want the film to reach those legislative buildings, those communities, to start a conversation around this population and how it should be treated.. Juans older brother drew him into gang life as a child in their native El Salvador, before they moved to California. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Our organization retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization. The boys empowerment from the creative process of screenwriting sparked hope in both them and me. 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) Musica para Noticias 2 - Musica para Noticias. In fact, since the human brain isnt fully developed until the age of 25, teens are less likely to understand risk and consequences, less able to resist peer pressure, which is relevant in deciding the level of sentence to impose for a crime one commits at, say, 15. Director.. Monsters is a 2010 British science fiction horror film written and directed by Gareth Edwards in his feature film directorial debut. Im 2023 Independent Television Service (ITVS). As They Call Us Monsters hopes to broaden the conversation on juvenile offenders, here are five eye-opening facts we learned from watching Lears documentary. You have to turn your life around to get parole. Cast Jarad Nava, Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez | See Full Cast You cannot punish trauma out of somebody. To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. Buy $12.99. Juan:We are allow[ed] to watch TV, we can have our own [set] in the cell. Love does not conquer all nor is Lear suggesting this. We've posted their answers below, and also included the original letters if you'd like to see an authentically handwritten. 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. The film follows three juveniles: Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava. Antonio Hernndez, director de "Capitn Trueno y El Santo Grial", recibe el Premio Applehead Sah-Di-A 2023 y nos enva un saludo. 83%. To their advocates, they're kids. Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez (Hernandez is released partway . Advertisement. All rights reserved. Watch They Call Us Monsters (2016) full movie online for free Legislators debate legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders. We see excerpts from the result. , was created to rehabilitate, not to be punitive but it became a punitive system where the kids are getting punished for their trauma., Cowan, who also happens to be one of the films producers, is the first person to teach a screenwriting class with, InsideOUT Writers, a non-profit organization. TikTok video from antonio hernandez (@antonio_hernandezzz): "#fyp #foryou #foryoupage #trending #viral #foru #fyp". goes behind the walls of the Compound, a high-security facility where Los Angeles houses its most violent juvenile criminals. Antonio, Jarad and Juan are the subjects of the documentary "They Call Us Monsters," BMP Films The issue of juveniles tried as adults in our criminal justice system is a difficult one, and the . The law went into effect January 1, 2014. The Center publishes multiple projects including Youth Today, JJIE, Fresh Take Georgia and Bokeh Focus. This means these kids could get a second chance. 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. This scene makes it into the final documentary, in which Learbraids together footage from the class with clips from the fictional film that the teens wrote. Ben Lear graduated from NYU in 2010 with a degree in music composition. For his senior recital, Lear wrote and performed his folk-opera Lillian (about a man who travels to the great Pacific garbage patch to reclaim all hes lost) with a 20-piece orchestra and light show. You can see them hugging, you can see they felt a lot of success together, they went through a real experience together.. 7 talking about this. Juan says, I really was a monster, and the film includes surveillance video of the killing that put him behind bars. Juan:Yeah, Jarad and I were tripping out on how many times we came out shaking hands. with lengthy sentences, regardless of the fact that, as adolescents, they have no ability to see beyond the orbit of their own experience. All Rights Reserved. Even if he appears remorseless, there seems to be a softness there, or maybe just a deep need for approval. 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. The process of transforming real details into fiction seems to make the young men especially introspective. ", "THEY CALL US MONSTERS Premieres on PBS' Independent Lens 5/22", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=They_Call_Us_Monsters&oldid=1108017152, This page was last edited on 2 September 2022, at 03:33. But thethree boys decided to do something mutually biographical. In California, the parole bill featured in Monsters ultimately passed in 2013. Director Ben Lear Stars Allegra Acosta Joel Anderson (archive footage) Richard Bloom (archive footage) To their victims, they're monsters. [1] The teenagers participate in a screenwriting class at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles, California with producer Gabriel Cowan. Because the prisoners became so vulnerable, I felt connected to them and their raw humanity in a way I did not expect given their crimes. His face during this moment, the flicker of anguish and regret, is full of pathos. Cowan says that getting the teens to open up to him was a long and sometimes difficult process. , Scott Budnick (The Hangover) who executive produced the They Call Us Monsters as a labor of love. This is true for Juan as well, who has a 90-year sentence. As the Fair Sentencing For Youth organization puts it, the law holds young people responsible for the crimes they committed, but it recognizes that youth are different from adults and gives them a chance to demonstrate remorse and rehabilitation. 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., That inspired him to make the documentary, which uses a montage of news reports to illustrate the late 20th century spike in juvenile crime and the punitive response that followed a broad expansion in the offenses and ages for which a teen could stand trial as an adult. Hello. Id love to come and speak to these kids at the possibilitys they can have (https://jjie.org/2017/02/08/meet-the-monsters-documentary-looks-at-california-juvenile-debate/). 2017. Another important area centers on the cognitive development and decision-making ability of minors in dangerous home environments. I really was." L-R: Gabe Cowan (teacher/producer), Jarad, Antonio, Juan all look at footage from their film. To others, they're monsters Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all young teens, face decades in prison. Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all young teens, face decades in prison. 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. Juan and Jarad were 16 when they were arrested; Antonio was 14. Antonio, one of Jarad's inmates, is blindsided by the news that he will be a free man. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. TikTok video from noticias ESA (@noticias.esa): "as de esta manera fue llevado ala justicia y ser presentado ante los tribunales con el fin de que pague con crcel todos los crmenes cometidos/los angelitos que no hacen nada #noticias #PlanControlTerritorial". Be more independent. Publication Information. Lear, the son of television producer and liberal activist Norman Lear, was drawn to the issue after he was invited to sit in on one of the scriptwriting classes run by, , a Los Angeles-based organization that teaches creative writing to kids in juvenile lockups. Summary. Yes, they have a lot of free time on their hands, but that didnt guarantee theyd be comfortable writing back to us, to answer questions about their experience making the film and what theyve been up to since. Jarad:No because for one police officers manipulate juveniles through coercion to admit to information that they may actually be innocent of. When you see these young, smart kids without resources, being taken advantage of in this way and locked up for life with no help, I call bullshit on that right away. I saw the boys experience a wide breadth of emotions, and the emotional walls they built up start coming down. Antonio Hernandez (@antoniohernandez517)s videos with sonido original - PABLO CS | TikTok. 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. 35 Likes, TikTok video from Antonio Hernnde4490 (@antoniohernandez0220). Starring Jarad Nava . sonido original - PABLO CS. "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 . These people have to do their time. they're kids. Together, he and the three inmates Juan Gamez, Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez (Mr. Hernandez is released partway through the movie) write a screenplay for a short film Mr. Cowan plans to make, inspired by the teenagers lives. ", But then, Jarad counters, No, Im not scared of the dark., Seems like youre avoiding the question, Cowan replies. Theres not only capacity for change, theres also that oft-forgotten glimmer of a thing called hope. 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. Cowan had the idea to starta screenwriting class for juvenile offenders after he gave a talk toincarcerated youth while working on another screenplay. . Hes no longer actively gangbanging. 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. In fact, since the human brain isnt fully developed until the age of 25, teens are less likely to understand risk and consequences, less able to resist peer pressure, which is relevant in deciding the level of sentence to impose for a crime one commits at, say, 15. The film follows three juvenile offenders: Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava who signed up for a screenwriting class. Love does not conquer all nor is Lear suggesting this. You cannot punish trauma out of somebody. 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.
