You can see them hugging, you can see they felt a lot of success together, they went through a real experience together.. Meanwhile, the realities of Jarad and Juans crimes and pending trials set in. Documentary. Juan:We are allow[ed] to watch TV, we can have our own [set] in the cell. 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. 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. Recidivism, understood as a persons relapse into criminal behavior, often after the person receives sanctions or undergoes intervention for a previous crime, is a key statistic that tells lawmakers and law enforcement how likely those who have gone through the system are likely to find themselves back into it. They Call US Monsters Where Are They Now? 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. Grappling with tough questions about what it means to convict a young teenager to a lifetime in prison without diminishing or excusing the violent crimes which these kids are accused of, They. If they weren’t waiting for a trial for a crime they committed, they appear to be typical American Read more. To their advocates, they're kids. You can see why we need to ask for your help. As part of the Kennesaw State University community we are committed to creating a culture of inclusion through our journalism and operations. The focus of InsideOUT is usually poetry and prose (alumni participate in group gatherings called Writing Circles, where young people come together to share their work and talk). Halfway through the class, Antonio returns to juvenile court and gets released with time served. See production, box office & company info, Self - California State Assembly Member (D). Juan tells Cowan and his classmates how he was going to give the real Abby a poem but he never got the chance. In other words, hes a boy. Antonio could care less. Edit your text regarding the suggestions. Download a copy of Juan Gamezs complete handwritten letter. The kids needing to find monies for their families. Do they deserve a second chance? Directed By. University of Redlands Emergency Alert System, Alert Received: . December 21, . Supporters of that measure cited new science about brain development in teenagers that found the part of the brain that regulates judgment, decision-making and impulse control doesnt fully form until a person is in their 20s. If they weren't waiting for a trial for a crime they committed, they appear to be typical American teenagers. As any parent, teacher or person who has worked with teens will tell you, teenagers are impulsive. You can write a science fiction, you can write an animated film, you can write about ninjas, whatever you want.. sonido original - Editorial Applehead. Sign up for our daily newsletter. Instead of rehabilitating youth who have committed serious crimes, he says, its punishing them. Documentary 2017 1 hr 21 min iTunes. Preview EXPLORE THE FILM About the Documentary They. https://redlandsalert.com/. That says a lot.. It is true that they are children but they commited adult and serious crimes. Reviews for January 20th, 2017 Documentary Round-Up. Its not an excuse by any means. Help bring programs like Independent Lens to your PBS station. Musica para Noticias 2 - Musica para Noticias. about brain development in teenagers that found the part of the brain that regulates judgment, decision-making and impulse control doesnt fully form until a person is in their 20s. 2017. To their advocates, theyre kids. Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava are the youthful offenders at the heart of "They Call Us Monsters," a new documentary that follows their lives in a Los Angeles juvenile detention center. The film follows three juveniles: Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava. The 2016 released documentary inspects the experience of three juvenile prisoners facing life time imprisonment in Los Angeles Juvenile Detention Centre. CC. Download a copy of Jarad Navas complete handwritten letter. While the gravity of their crimes is great, these young men are still simply teenagers. According to California law, the U.S. injustice errr.justice system treats people aged 14-17 as adults when being sentenced for their crimes. All three lads are aged 14 to 16 and are filmed living in Californian . Press Check button. While the gravity of their crimes is great, these young men are still simply teenagers. . Sitting in his white undershirt, he tries to reconcile the number of years Jarad still has left on his sentence: 162. From the film, I learned many juveniles convicted of serious crimes are tried as adults and kept in a separate compound. Cast Jarad Nava , Juan Gamez , Antonio Hernandez | See Full Cast I do not agree. SB 260 may have finally passed in California, as well as Prop 57, but most states still impose juvenile life sentences with no chance of parole. 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. I cant think of anything specific other than Im grateful so many people have embrace[d] our story and joined the prison reform movement (one way or the other). This article about a biographical documentary film is a stub. Theyd seem like typical teenage boys if they werent awaiting trial for violent crimes. Thats whendirector Ben Learknew he had a film to make. View Notes - Film Review .docx from JS 152 at San Jose State University. Last edited on 2 September 2022, at 03:33, "Meet the 'Monsters:' Documentary Looks at California Juvenile Debate", "Review: 'They Call Us Monsters,' but Do We Deserve Life Sentences? Jarad:No because for one police officers manipulate juveniles through coercion to admit to information that they may actually be innocent of. (SB 260 calls this diminished culpability.), Obviously, there are no easy answers. Crime Meet Juan, Jarad, and Antonio, all in their teens, all facing decades in prison. HD. Are we entirely the result of our environment? Im a believer in the parole process, Lear says. The documentary features three juvenile offenders: Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez, and Jarad Nava. At the start of the film, we watch as Juan, under surveillance, speaks on the phone with a girl. As prison reform continues to be a hot topic of conversation, Ben Lears They Call Us Monsters hopes to give voice to those inside the Compound. They Call Us Monsters . Weve posted their answers below, and also included the original letters if youd like to see an authentically handwritten response. This doc examines how minors are regarded in the justice system. Fathers in prison. Mothers staying home to care for their children. Also, people who have done enough time in prison age out of violent crime in their thirties and forties. As we see them crafting a short film based on their experiences, Lear gives us access to their families and in one case to their victims stories, balancing the fresh faces we see at the Compound with the violent crimes that landed them there. Jarads victim describes waking up paralyzed, and the film shows her trying to navigate her apartment in a wheelchair. 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. He was booked on . I saw the boys experience a wide breadth of emotions, and the emotional walls they built up start coming down. A part of PBS, America's Home for Documentaries, We thought viewers of Ben Lears They Call Us Monsters may be interested in hearing from the young men featured in the film. [Antonio was advised by his lawyer to decline a follow-up interview.] Director Ben Lear Stars Allegra Acosta Joel Anderson (archive footage) Richard Bloom (archive footage) The remark encapsulated the feeling I was left with after observing the film. But thethree boys decided to do something mutually biographical. I saw the kids facing life and it broke my heart and changed my life, Budnick tells me over the phone. - Juvenile Justice News for People Who Care About Children and the Law, Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava are the youthful offenders at the heart of . Be more independent. 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. 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.[4]. Eventually, police were able to identify the suspect as 19-year-old Antonio Hernandez. 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. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to watch the film, as it provided me insight into the lives of an often-forgotten part of the population, educated me on the debate, about juvenile justice reform, and left me with a hunger to learn more. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Follow her on Twitter at @EmilyBeJordan. It concerns juveniles in California, accused of violent crimes, who are facing trial as adults with the prospect of spending the rest of their lives in prison. 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) Maybe it takes 15 years. He had the group do a number of trust exercises. Wait for a couple of seconds to let the tool find matching parts. If they hadnt wanted to write a love story, there wouldnt be this film, but they decided to write a film, their film, about a young boy falling in love, when they could have written about violence or gangs. "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 . They Call Us Monsters goes behind the walls of the Compound, a high-security facility where Los Angeles houses its most violent juvenile criminals, to follow three young offenders who sign up to take a screenwriting class with producer Gabe Cowan as they await their respective trials. "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. While in the courthouse representing himself for the hearing about her murder, he asked the judge if he could use the law . Im You cannot punish trauma out of somebody. 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. 1091 Media. She weeps as she talks about the harrowing moment in which she thought she was going to die. Ben Lear graduated from NYU in 2010 with a degree in music composition. Are you allowed to watch anything? 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. Change is possible but forgiveness is needed.. Before watching They Call Us Monsters, I knew little to nothing about the issue of justice for juveniles under California Senate Bill 260, a law that went into effect in 2014 that gives a second chance to most people who were under the age of 18 at the time of their crime. They Call Us Monsters. As they note on their site, the mission of InsideOUT Writers is to reduce the juvenile recidivism rate by providing a range of services that evolves to meet the needs of currently and formerly incarcerated youth and young adults. Not only do they offer creative writing classes to offer these young people the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully re-join the community, but they have instituted an Alumni program that supports former students upon their release. Three kids facing life in prison. This reality recalls a moment from the beginning of the film when the boys are taking Cowan on a tour of the facilities at Sylmar, clean but stark if decorated with names of NFL teams. This offers a clear path for states around the country to see what this type of reform can look like. You have to turn your life around to get parole. UPDATE 6/29/2017:They Call Us Monsters isnow streamingon Netflix. Im guessing people probably think were still in the same mindset, and doing the same stuff. The University of Redlands does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, Lear originally visited the prison wanting to enrich a screenplay he was working on but once he saw the world of the young boys in the Compound, he knew he had a worthwhile doc in his hands. While the gravity of their crimes is great, these young men are still simply teenagers. Emily Jordan is a YA writer living in New York City. I must say God is good despite where I came from, God has me living in the now looking forward and learning from the past. Advertisement. To others, they're monsters Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all young teens, face decades in prison. 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. You cant punish trauma out of a child, you have to love it out of them, he says. Antonio, one of Jarad's inmates, is blindsided by the news that he will be a free man. 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. These are perfect examples of the way the justice system has decided to treat young men who commit violent crimes as adults. The girl in Los turns out to be Abby, the love of Juans life whom he let get away. Juan mostly appears contemplative, or maybe just catatonic. being generous here 7 million pit bulls and Rottweilers and other dangerous breeds. Even if he appears remorseless, there seems to be a softness there, or maybe just a deep need for approval. Juan and Jarad were 16 when they were arrested; Antonio was 14. Directed by: Ben LearThey Call Us Monsters Official Trailer 1 (2016) - Documentary In this fascinating, deeply human exploration of the blurring line between. Cowan saysthe juvenile justice system in California is broken. Each one teach one.. 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. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. TikTok video from Antonio Hernandez (@antoniohernandez5046). All Rights Reserved. TikTok video from Antonio Hernandez (@antoniohernandez517). Ben Lear. 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. 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. 83%. come up for parole in 20-25 years, instead of the 80 or 90 years he would have had with a 160-year sentence. Its this capacity for change that, according to Budnick, Cowan, Lear and other prison-reform policy advocates, differentiates the young person from the adult. After watching the documentary They Call Us Monsters at the University of Redlands Orton Center last Thursday, I was left with these questions. He approached fellow InsideOUT board member and founder of The Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Scott Budnick (The Hangover) who executive produced the They Call Us Monsters as a labor of love. I used laughter as a mask to shield myself and others [from] my reality. Antonio was being charged for 2 attempted murders and facing 90 years to life. Are there any TV or movies that would inspire you in trying to do your own film? Justice is not to seek retribution or eye for an eye, but there were homicides what they did and must pay in that sense. 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. While the gravity of their crimes is great, these young men are still simply teenagers. Juans older brother drew him into gang life as a child in their native El Salvador, before they moved to California. Through their introspection and self-discovery, I felt an overwhelming sense of aspiration for these young people, despite their circumstances. I do not think so. Juan:I find screenwriting and filmmaking very interesting, [e]specially for the power you can have of telling a story and raising awareness about certain topics. He references the movie Avatar, and says, I feel like I gotta be these huge blue people for them so at night when they dream of stuff they could be doing, I could be one of those huge, blue people.. Since rehabilitation programs continue to be underfunded, the recidivism rate isnt likely to go down. Find out where to watch online amongst 45+ services including Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video. I have worked in the juvenile system for 20 years. A scene in which Juan calls a girl he had a crush on, while a listening staff member roots for him, provides the films most oddly affecting moment. To their victims, theyre monsters. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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. If I learned one thing about myself Id say it is that the camera loves me. In California, juveniles between the ages of 14 and 17 can be tried as adults and receive sentences longer than their natural life expectancy. All three are looking at terms that could keep them behind bars for decades. Another leads you on a mocking tour of his new home. . In this movie, creator Ben Lear sheds valuable insight into the world of juveniles with life sentences. they're kids. Watch They Call us Monsters 2016 full Movie free, download they call us monsters 2016. 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. Even the JC, listening on the other end of the line, is visibly moved. The juvenile justice system was created to rehabilitate, not to be punitive but it became a punitive system where the kids are getting punished for their trauma.. Dont loose HOPE and have FAITH, I agree with you 100% Patty. Capturan en Altavista al delincuente Nelson Antonio Hernndez, alias El Maligno. The problem could be stopped before it reaches this how does a teen get a gun is never questioned. I hope all works out for these fellas & every young person that happens to take the wrong or see the something that damages them, Our XML site map https://jjie.org/sitemap.xml, JJIE is published by the Center for Sustainable Journalism at Kennesaw State University. They Call Us Monsters 2016 Not Rated 1 h 22 m IMDb RATING 7.0 /10 654 YOUR RATING Rate Play trailer 1:42 1 Video 4 Photos Documentary Legislators debate legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders. Read more, FUNDER TRANSPARENCY POLICY In the past few years, however, officials in many states and in Washington, D.C., have been rethinking the clampdown. They Call Us Monsters A Documentary Film Review 'The Call Us Monsters' is a documentary film in which the filmmakers are granted access to the Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar California. This documentary, directed by Ben Lear (the son of legendary TV producer Norman Lear), is one of the few I have seen to . [Antonio was advised by his lawyer to decline a follow-up interview.]. Watching this documentary would lead one to realize that the society plays an important role in the prevention of juvenile delinquency. He receives a letter from Jarad. The plot emerged when the teens were talking about their fears. Unrated Starring Allegra Acosta, Nate Corddry, Gabriel Cowan. 38 deaths from fire arms not ruled homicide. Documentary 2017 1 hr 21 min iTunes. Maybe it takes a lifetime., 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 InsideOUT Writers, a Los Angeles-based organization that teaches creative writing to kids in juvenile lockups. "They Call Us Monsters," directed by Ben Lear (Norman Lear's son), might seem like a straightforward advocacy documentary. Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all young teens, face decades in prison. I appreciate the support and open-mindedness.. 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. Antonio Hernandez (arrested at age 14) and Jarad Nava (arrested at 16) are both charged with multiple counts of attempted murder; Juan Gamez (also arrested at 16) is charged with first-degree. Cowan conceptualized the idea to teach screenwriting and then produce and shoot a movie from the script the kids wrote. that, according to Budnick, Cowan, Lear and other prison-reform policy advocates, differentiates the young person from the adult. ok my sons were murdered, but the killers are children, so they deserve to be treated differently? Theyre held in a special wing of the lockup reserved for teens who will be standing trial as adults. Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all between 14 and 16, face decades in prison. 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. Juan:Yes, I saw the movie, before release. 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. Toward the end of "They Call Us Monsters," Antonio has been released. Read more, DIVERSITY, EQUITY and INCLUSION HD. 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. Antonio has since re-offended. Jarad:Since the movie Ive been striving day after day to become a better person and hopefully re-enter society and just be a citizen, an asset, not a liability. Later, he calls Abby and uses Los as a script to narrate the depth of his feelings. These are young men who will be tried as adults for violent crimes and face decades, if not hundreds of years in adult jails. Love does not conquer all nor is Lear suggesting this. Juvenile court judges had made that decision. The Los Angeles Film Festivalruns June 1-9, 2016. Ben Lear. There are currently no airings of They Call Us Monsters. Let me clarify, I dont think juveniles should just be let free or given a slap on the wrist. [2] [3] Premise [ edit] Have you seen They Call Us Monsters yet and if so what was your reaction to seeing yourself in the film? The documentary "They Call Us Monsters" explored the life of three juvenile offenders, i.e. Do they deserve a second chance? I dont know if its because I was acting like a fool. 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. 87 Likes, TikTok video from EL NIO DE FUEGO (@antoniohernandezoficial): "Ya disponible en todas las plataformas digitales junto @MONCHO CHAVEA @original_eliass". 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. Reflecting back on his first week teaching his screenwriting class, Cowan says he was struck by the teens saying they don't have friends. The short film, LOS, was written by Juan Gamez, Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez. But we did hear back from Juan Gamez and Jarad Nava, both of whom are currently serving life sentences.