Evento

"Minor Differences" Documentary Film Screening and Q&A

Explorer West's Parent Community Network is hosting a screening of this poignant documentary about juvenile offenders in maximum security lock-up and their lives 18 years later. Minor Differences was produced by Explorer West parent, Caroline Cumming, who will attend along with three of the men from the film. They will participate in a post-screening Q&A session with the audience. Last month, the film won "Best Documentary" at the Spokane International Film Festival.

Background on the film:
Eighteen years ago, filmmaker Heather Dew Oaksen taught a video skills class at Green Hill, a maximum security prison for juveniles in Chehalis, WA. There she got to know the young men you will meet in Minor Differences. At the time, they were boys between the ages of 16 and 19. In creating their pieces, the boys momentarily shed their label of "offender" or "gang banger" and revealed themselves to be engaging young people who aspired to stay out of jail and lead satisfying lives. They still had hopes for the future. Oaksen learned that despite their youthful mistakes, they were smart, likable individuals, and she kept in contact. Minor Differences is an update on the boys, now men in their mid 30's. Today, they express the sincere desire to lead good lives and care for their children, yet, as their stories show, they have never been able to overcome their early prison experience. Oaksen's current film intermixes footage from recent interviews and her original work with the Green Hill boys. In their own frank words, the young men and their families describe the world of obstacles and problems the teenagers faced as they tried to stay out of jail.

Details about the event:
This screening is open to the broader community. The film is recommended for middle school aged students and older. To find out more about Minor Differences, please check out: http://www.minordifferences.com/.