As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. But in her attempt to give their lives a shape that the girls themselves seem to resist, this talented filmmaker has done both herself and them a disservice. You get a sense of just how complicated when Shanae finally cops to her guilt. From there she enrolls in high school, where she places fourth in her class, and plans to attend a community college. It indicates that she is wary of strangers (Garbus, 2003). Copyright 2023 . The pair form a strong friendship and, under the guidance and treatment of a dedicated psychotherapist, endeavor to change their lives and strive for a brighter future. Girlhood juvenile delinquents, Shanae Megan, Waxter Juvenile Facility Maryland. Finally, she becomes distraught when her relationship with her mother ends. Subsequently, she was always looking for that support and without it had less incentive and means to create a change in her life. This trend of progression is surging ahead at a rapid pace; however, it is very unfortunate to declare that many of the social dilemmas also exist in this industrialized world that is making millions of residents suffer from its drastic outcomes. She receives more family support than Megan is, but she does not seem to reciprocate it at the beginning of the film. We were introduced to Shanae, a young girl, convicted of murder. Required fields are marked *, College Essay Examples | January 23, 2017, College Essay Examples | February 2, 2018. What both girls crave is the stabilizing force of a caring and responsible mother. MPAA rating: Unrated. We also met Megan, who, unlike Shanae, was not at the . Baltimore teens Shanae, left, and Megan are the subjects of Liz Garbus's documentary "Girlhood," now at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring."Girlhood," a documentary by Liz Garbus, right . At 14, she was hit by a stray bullet during a gunfight. The system essentially gives up on trying to control her and turns her loose to fend for herself. ''Girlhood, which was shot in 16 millimeter, is a bare-bones affair, as spare as the juvenile institution in which much of it was filmed. With its drab green walls and sparse furnishings, Waxter is no country club. The film, however, makes Shanae and Megans girlhoods into victory stories when, instead, they are something much more complex. But it also made me wonder, why was Megan not looked after in essence like Shanae was? Unfortunately, this meant that she had no time to supervise and spend most time with Shanae. As to be expected, the revelations are often heartbreaking, at times infuriating, but because the film runs a total of 88 minutes theyre also manifestly unenlightening. Documentary Crime Documentary chronicling America's justice system. While Shanae told her own story -- murdering another girl after the two got into an argument -- and shared remorse for her violent actions, Megan seemed much more guarded. Issues such as child neglect, failure of the foster care system, alcoholism and drug abuse. The film will center on two prisoners serving time at Waxter, a Maryland juvenile detention center, after committing violent crimes. Anyone can read what you share. Shanae, however, simply had to acknowledge her culpability in the murder of a friend before being able to effect a significant change in the direction of her life. In the beginning, Shanae is not remorseful for committing murder (Garbus, 2003). Second, she is distressed when her mother leaves. Megan grew up without the love and support of her mother who was in prison for drugs and prostitution. One of the biggest criticisms that Garbus. Megan, 16, was also involved in a fight and was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon. Aired on 07/20/2014 | CC tv-pg In 2003, Oprah spoke to Megan, a teenage girl who had spent time in a juvenile detention facility for some of the country's most violent youths. But its staff emerges as a caring if overstressed group of people who do what they can to steer the girls in their charge toward a productive life. Editor Mary Manhardt. Shanae and Megan are both magnetic characters, and their story is as relevant as it is inspiring. Hanna has won numerous writing awards. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research.This Documentary/Film \"Girlhood\" is not for any personal financial profit or gain to TheeSymphony'sCulture Channel, but instead only for educational purposes and cultural research. "I was really, really, really confused at the time," Megan says. It is typically more difficult for adults to change their patterns of behavior than it is for younger people. When she originally returned to Baltimore, Megan's life went downhill. Growing up, Megan had shuffled through 11 different foster homes, running away from all but one of them. In 1997 on a Baltimore street, Shanae got into a fight with 13-year-old Chineye Mills, allegedly over a boy. Just last week Waxter made headline news in Maryland after having been labeled by one childrens rights advocate as a house of horrors. At Waxter, girls like Shanae who have been sentenced for crimes, girls who would make mincemeat of the fillies in Thirteen, are placed alongside those who, as one news story put it, have not been found guilty of anything yet. Except, perhaps, being born poor and grievously disadvantaged. Documentary chronicling America's justice system. Follows two female inmates - victims of horrific violence and tragedy - who are serving time in a Maryland juvenile detention center.Documentary chronicling America's justice system. This age difference is crucial because there is a mutability associated with Parents need to know that the French movie Girlhood is a bleak but affecting look at life in the housing projects outside Paris, where young people have few options and little chance to improve their lives. Megan was shuffled through 11 different foster homes, running away from all except one. Copyright 2022 Women and Hollywood. Paperdue.com uses cookies to offer you the best service. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Miriam Kruishoop (Greencard Warriors) has signed on to write and direct Hood Girls, a narrative feature based on the life stories of the two subjects of Liz Garbus 2003 documentary Girlhood. Or do some simply have the psychological equipment to move on while others don't? Garbus interest in and empathy for her subjects and, more importantly, the way in which she relays their girlhood, makes for an entertaining and emotional documentary, but perhaps an incomplete one. She perseveres through challenges in life. And at 12, she had become a killer. A narrative feature based on the two subjects of Liz Garbus 2003 documentary Girlhood, young female inmates Shanae Watkins and Megan Stahl, is in the works. At the Quad Cinema, 34 West 13th Street, Greenwich Village. In the film Girlhood by Liz Garbus we are introduced to two young girl's named Megan and Shanae, who committed a crime and are getting help through a facility that helps young girls reflect on their actions. There are a couple of different things I would attempt to implement if I were the director of the Waxter Juvenile Facility to make the program more efficacious for juveniles sent there for reform. Follows two female inmates - victims of horrific violence and tragedy - who are serving time in a Maryland juvenile detention center. Girl Hood was released in 2003 and since then has won many awards. Electronic Inspiration LLC. Her cousin has to console her. The length of her stay at Waxter will depend on whether she can acknowledge what she did and show appropriate remorse. The film then narrows its focus to concentrate on the lives of two teenagers, Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen, both incarcerated for assault at the Waxter Juvenile Facility in Baltimore. In Garbus film, Shanae and Megans girlhood set up a dichotomy: girlhood is good, everything else threatening, extraneous and intrusive, instead of part of the story of girlhood itself. "I didn't know how to love anybody or to depend on people because I never had anyone stable enough in my life to actually show me that kind of love and compassion.". The documentary Girlhood offers an insight on the emotional, psychological, and social reasoning behind the girl's actions. (See also: her 2003 documentary Girlhood.) The documentary follows the plight of Megan and Shanae (Garbus, 2003). Movies about murdered prostitutes and serial killers who prey on women are so ubiquitous as to be banal, and perhaps not even shockingly these stories tend to be about the cops or lawyers investigating the crimes to which they have fallen victim, and not about the women themselves. New and Upcoming Science Fiction and Fantasy. But Garbus sidesteps this queasy unpleasantness either because it pains her or because it doesnt fit with the triumphant survivor story shes trying to tell. Third, Shanae becomes emotionally expressive. Not surprisingly, by the end of the documentary she is living alone in Baltimore while Shanae was living with her family and doing well in high school while preparing to attend a junior college. ''Girlhood,'' which follows Shanae and Megan over three years beginning in 1999, doesn't pretend that a place like Waxter can hope to do the job by itself. Her mother was largely able to chart Shanae's problem for the duration of the movie, because she cared about her and wanted to see her do better. Shanae fatally stabbed the girl in the neck with a kitchen knife. Both of the girls have been in the system for years, Megan has been in and out of juvenile detention centers and foster homes for years and is . Original music Theodore Shapiro. A Moxie Firecracker Production for TLC, released by Wellspring. 4 Pages. Girlhood misses some of the nuance of the girlhoods that it seeks to document in a few ways. When she grows older, it is clear that she is still affected by the feeling of neglect and she believes nobody is looking out for her interest (Garbus, 2003). The documentary follows the plight of Megan and Shanae (Garbus, 2003). The most salient factor in Megan's reversal of fortune however was the tireless work that her mother did to ensure that her daughter became an upstanding individual. How A Violent Teen Who Had Given Up On Life Turned It All Around. The impulse to end on an up note, to turn complex and contradictory lives into palatable narratives, is one of the least-examined pitfalls in nonfiction filmmaking. Gender Roles In The Film Girlhood. Documentary chronicling America's justice system. The project, titled Hood Girls, will be written and directed by Miriam Kruishoop (Greencard Warriors) and produced by Atlantic Screen Productions. Kennedy, R., and Garbus, L. (2003). Documentaries are also excellent tools for presenting complex Megan, however, was virtually abandoned by her mother and received little support from the rest of the family. Against all odds, they have become responsible citizens who give back to their communities.. Harrowing moment medics rush to save Jeremy Renner's life after he was crushed by 14,000lb snow plow - as actor is seen sprawled on the ground in a pool of his own blood and with 35 broken bones "I started using cocaine, I was strung out on drugs -- bad. The project, titled "Hood Girls," will be written and directed by Miriam Kruishoop ("Greencard Warriors") and produced by Atlantic Screen Productions. The hard cases penned up here are girls whose youth, bright smiles and flashes of irritation at being kept under lock and key belie their grim, violent histories. "Excuse me," she said. Copyright 2022 My Essay Writer. Abandoned by her mother, a heroin addict turned prostitute, Megan ran away from then different foster homes before being arrested on assault charges. I have three lovely kids," she says. Abruptly, she halted the conversation. The film then changes focus on Megan and her deteriorating relationship with her mother. Even more disturbing is Megan's real acknowledgement of this abandonment. Megan, a pretty girl with a devilish gleam in her eye, tries to get by on charm, but she doesn't have Shanae's focus. Decent Essays. Second, she is unable to regulate her emotions (Garbus, 2003). Megan, the more unruly of the two is a little older than Shanae. Both Megan and Shenae's interactions with their 2 She stays briefly at another foster home before running away to live with friends and eventually by herself in the treacherous East Baltimore neighborhood where she got into trouble. The films protagonists, Megan Jensen and Shanae Watkins. However, it is also noteworthy that Megan is two years older than Shanae. Girl Hood has been praised for its informative content and for raising awareness on a number of issues young people in detention centers face on a daily basis and how their lives lead to a life similar to their parents. "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" Co-producer, sound Amy Goodman. Director Liz Garbus. Open Document. Brody, R., & Dwyer, D. (2016). [Need anessay writing service? Girlhood isnt about an abstraction like the wrongs of the state penal system -- indeed there is very little about how Waxter works (or doesnt) day to day -- its about two very real and complicated kids, each of whom could fill up hours of screen time. Privacy Policy. Feb 26th, 2022 Published. She angrily lashes out at the girl, but shows no remorse when she finds out that she died. The relationship between staff and the young women at Waxter is for the most part warm and friendly. While Shanae sublimates her anger and hurt and moves on with life, for Megan everything is right on the surface. By continuing, you are agreeing to receive cookies. Both girls are likable, smart young women struggling to overcome traumatic backgrounds. It isnt just difficult to do justice to Shanae and Megan in an average of 44 minutes apiece; as it turns out, its impossible. Megan also leaves Waxter. You could hear the emotions and felt the anger, the sadness. In one of the scenes, she even says that no one loves her. Megan is not malicious, and her mischief is probably a cry for attention. [ClickEssay Writerto order your essay]. Im excited and honored that Atlantic Screen Productions embraced this extraordinary true tale and understands the urgency of making this film now. Your email address will not be published. In the documentary, she is always trying to contact either the mother or the grandmother. Having been abandoned by her mother, with whom she has a very complicated relationship, Megan is desperate for attention and affection. At the beginning of the documentary, Shanae and Megan are 14 and 16, serving time for murder and assault, respectively. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/girlhood-subjects-get-narrative-feature-829762 Once Shanae begins to face the reality of what she did, she is transferred to a group home and begins to flourish. Girlhood Directed by Liz Garbus Documentary, Crime Not Rated 1h 22m By Stephen Holden Oct. 29, 2003 Liz Garbus's hard-headed documentary film ''Girlhood'' is prefaced with an unsettling. Join our weekly newsletter to stay up-to-date on women centric, directed, and written films and news. She Alba Sotorra is an independent filmmaker and producer based in Barcelona.