Love does not conquer all nor is Lear suggesting this. Other stories Id like to tell I look around at the people around me and I see great stories of personal achievementsor overcoming struggles. Antonio could care less. I do not agree. 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. sonido original - joxls . Lears documentary follows three boys living in such a compound who signed up for a screenwriting class: Antonio Hernandez, Jarad Nava, and Juan Gamez. Yet, I also felt the film was successful in demonstrating that these are no little Charles Mansons, as a state senator in the documentary called them. Have you seen They Call Us Monsters yet and if so what was your reaction to seeing yourself in the film? Musica para Noticias 2 - Musica para Noticias. 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 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. Read more, FUNDER TRANSPARENCY POLICY Read the Notice of Nondiscrimination here. He commented that after the experience of making the film he no longer thinks that there is a type of person who can pull the trigger and one who cannot. Do they deserve a second chance? gender, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or other legally-protected characteristic in its programs and "They Call Us Monsters," created by Ben Lear son of Norman Lear, features Pomona resident Jarad Nava and two other teens at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar and raises the question. ", "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. 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 with lengthy sentences, regardless of the fact that, as adolescents, they have no ability to see beyond the orbit of their own experience. Each one teach one.. Crime Meet Juan, Jarad, and Antonio, all in their teens, all facing decades in prison. 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. Meanwhile, the realities of Jarad and Juans crimes and pending trials set in. Id love to come and speak to these kids at the possibilitys they can have I got married to a beautiful amazing woman and we have two daughters, ones three, the second a [little] over one year. (SB 260 calls this diminished culpability.), Obviously, there are no easy answers. Dont loose HOPE and have FAITH, I agree with you 100% Patty. (SB 260 calls this diminished culpability.). Publication Information. 2023 University of Redlands. 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. The film follows three juveniles: Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava. While in the courthouse representing himself for the hearing about her murder, he asked the judge if he could use the law . 38 deaths from fire arms not ruled homicide. Over the course of the two years that Lear (son of TV writer and producer Norman Lear) spent filming They Call Us Monsters, SB 260, the juvenile parole bill, went into effect in California. Moved by his friends predicament, he says that he wants to become successful for him. As the film reveals, in the last four years, the state has passed bills to decrease juvenile sentencing a move that re-sparked a national debate over the very nature of these violent juvenile offenders. TALKING" while everyone blathers on regardless. 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. It's a High Security Compound in which we're introduced to four juvenile inmates: Jarad Nava arrested at 16 and facing 200 years to life for . They Call Us Monsters. The film follows three juvenile offenders: Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava who signed up for a screenwriting class. Are there any TV or movies that would inspire you in trying to do your own film? Halfway through the class, Antonio returns to juvenile court and gets released with time served. To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. They Call Us Monsters - Where to Watch and Stream They Call Us Monsters Overview Cast Meet Juan, Jarad, and Antonio, all in their teens, all facing decades in prison. I used laughter as a mask to shield myself and others [from] my reality. [1] The teenagers participate in a screenwriting class at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles, California with producer Gabriel Cowan. HD. All three are looking at terms that could keep them behind bars for decades. The prisoners are not made out to be innocent victims of the prison system; it was made clear that they committed serious crimes and are dealing with the repercussions. . 1.7K Likes, TikTok video from antonio hernandez (@antonio_hernandezzz): "#fyp #foryou #foryoupage #trending #viral #foru #fyp". They found him along the 4000 block of Green Tree Drive Wednesday and took him into custody. If they weren't waiting for a trial for a crime they committed, they appear to be typical American teenagers. Juan: I dont want to say the law is unfair, but rather the people passing certain laws are quick to make decisions like throwing you in prison and throwing away the key without even giving you a chance (sometimes). . Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all young teens, face decades in prison. ", Jarad: I dont like snakes, theres a fear of heights, Im not scared of heights, but theres a fear. "They Call Us Monsters," directed by Ben Lear (Norman Lear's son), might seem like a straightforward advocacy documentary. Director Benjamin Lear . Hernandez was arrested at 14 for two attempted murders, and faced a 90-year life sentence but was granted parole for good behavior during filming since he was still under the age of 18. To some, they're kids. ENGLISH. His statement, I was a monster, I really was, is the crux of the film: he joined a gang before his thirteenth birthday to emulate his brother. Not just in the throes of puberty and adolescence but of self-discovery and coming of age.. You have to love it out of them, Cowan says. Sign up for our daily newsletter. Upload your text file or copy the materials to the field. I saw the boys experience a wide breadth of emotions, and the emotional walls they built up start coming down. [Antonio was advised by his lawyer to decline a follow-up interview.] Los ends up being, of all things, a love story. The short film, LOS, was written by Juan Gamez, Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez. Another leads you on a mocking tour of his new home. They Call Us Monsters . It is true that they are children but they commited adult and serious crimes. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The film follows three young offenders who sign up to take a screenwriting class with producer Gabe Cowan as they await their respective trials. Lear's documentary follows three boys living in such a compound who signed up for a screenwriting class: Antonio Hernandez, Jarad Nava, and Juan Gamez. I dont know if its because I was acting like a fool. Thats why you need programs like InsideOUT and college., In the fifth writing class, Cowan introduces the topic of character motivation, telling the kids that conflict and fear are essential in driving plot. Preview EXPLORE THE FILM About the Documentary They. Written By. HD. 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. The dark. To their advocates, theyre kids. I saw the kids facing life and it broke my heart and changed my life, Budnick tells me over the phone. 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. 1 They Call us Monsters, for me, was more than just another Netflix documentary. Antonio Hernndez, director de "Capitn Trueno y El Santo Grial", recibe el Premio Applehead Sah-Di-A 2023 y nos enva un saludo. Jarad and Juan are currently serving the remainder of their sentence at Ironwood state prison. Antonio has since re-offended. They show Cowan a chair in a cell and Antonio says, King George sat here, and Juan laughs and makes a fart joke. Juvenile court judges had made that decision. These are young men who will be tried as adults for violent crimes and face decades, if not hundreds of years in adult jails. Legislators debate legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders. Copyright 2023 Salon.com, LLC. being generous here 7 million pit bulls and Rottweilers and other dangerous breeds. Gilpin County Colorado Most Wanted. Cast Jarad Nava , Juan Gamez , Antonio Hernandez | See Full Cast Sign up for our newsletter and receive the coolest updates! (alumni participate in group gatherings called Writing Circles, where young people come together to share their work and talk). Our organization retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization. He speaks with renewed hope about providing his friends at the juvenile hall with a larger-than-life example of the success that they can aspire to achieve, transforming himself into a heroic figure on par with the "blue people in 'Avatar.'" They Call US Monsters Where Are They Now? Stay in touch. Im not that 17 or 18-year-old boy anymore. 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 Lear was available for questions after the showing at Redlands. You have to love it out of them, Cowan says. 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. 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 Juan, Jarad, and Antonio, all in their teens, all facing decades in prison. Its protagonist, an amalgam of Jarad, Antonio and Juan, is played by a small and fresh-faced boy, a perfect casting choice that conveys the boys actual youth, that is, if it hadnt been cut short by gang violence, poverty, and an unjust system. Let me clarify, I dont think juveniles should just be let free or given a slap on the wrist. TikTok video from Antonio Hernandez (@antoniohernandez5046). Arrested at 16, Jarad faces 200 years-to-life for four attempted murders; Juan, also arrested at 16, faces 90-to-life for first-degree murder; Antonio was arrested at 14 and faces 90-to-life for two attempted murders. 17.9K Likes, 65 Comments. Over the course of a few months, Learfilmed Cowan working with three teenagers -- Juan Gamez, Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez -- who were awaiting trial, some facing sentences more than 100 years long. braids 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. UPDATE 6/29/2017:They Call Us Monsters isnow streamingon Netflix. Be more independent. Reflecting back on his first week teaching his screenwriting class, Cowan says he was struck by the teens saying they don't have friends. 1.7K Likes, 32 Comments. This is true for Juan as well, who has a 90-year sentence. To others, they're monsters. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 35 Likes, TikTok video from Antonio Hernnde4490 (@antoniohernandez0220). We've posted their answers below, and also included the original letters if you'd like to see an authentically handwritten. with lengthy sentences, regardless of the fact that, as adolescents, they have no ability to see beyond the orbit of their own experience. The first individual we come across is Antonio, who was arrested at the age of 14-years-old. they're kids. 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. Edit your text regarding the suggestions. I really was." Antonio, Juan and Jarad are enrolled in a 20-week screenwriting course taught by Gabe Cowan, and through clips of their classes and the fictional scenarios they develop, "They Call Us Monsters" THEY CALL US MONSTERS, a documentary that follows three juvenile offenders, is explored with director Ben Lear. View Notes - Film Review .docx from JS 152 at San Jose State University. At the start of the film, we watch as Juan, under surveillance, speaks on the phone with a girl. Its a lot harder for him to find drugs. In what is then the pinnacle moment of the documentary, Juan watches from the sidelines as actors brought in by Cowan enact a scene from his own life as he wishes it had actually transpired. The film follows three juvenile offenders: Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava who signed up for a screenwriting class . But thethree boys decided to do something mutually biographical. 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 was written in an InsideOUT Writers class taught by Gabriel Cowan which is featured in the documentary THEY CALL US MONSTERS directed by Ben Lear. The film documents one of his first visits, when he asksthe group to list their fears. The miscreants alluded to in the title of the documentary "They Call Us Monsters" are a trio of teenage boys, incarcerated in a California juvenile detention facility for charges ranging. To the system, they're adults. Theyre held in a special wing of the lockup reserved for teens who will be standing trial as adults. 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. 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