They Call Us Monsters. Our news judgments are made independently not based on or influenced by donors. She weeps as she talks about the harrowing moment in which she thought she was going to die. Starring Jarad Nava . The film follows three juvenile offenders: Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava who signed up for a screenwriting class. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. , a new documentary that follows their lives in a Los Angeles juvenile detention center. These are young men who will be tried as adults for violent crimes and face decades, if not hundreds of years in adult jails. It wasnt a direct line, it was a process that had zigzaggy lines. To their critics, they're monsters. Antonio Hernandez, and Jarad Nava. Reflecting back on his first week teaching his screenwriting class, Cowan says he was struck by the teens saying they don't have friends. Encouraged by Cowan and his classmates, Juan ended up calling his 10 year-old crush inside the jail. 83%. Ben Lear graduated from NYU in 2010 with a degree in music composition. Are you still interested in screenwriting and filmmaking and would you try to do that again even though youre incarcerated? (Haha) Just kidding.. Its this capacity for change that, according to Budnick, Cowan, Lear and other prison-reform policy advocates, differentiates the young person from the adult. Directed By. Other stories Id like to tell I look around at the people around me and I see great stories of personal achievementsor overcoming struggles. ", Jarad: I dont like snakes, theres a fear of heights, Im not scared of heights, but theres a fear. The girl in Los turns out to be Abby, the love of Juans life whom he let get away. 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. They Call Us Monsters . Sitting in his white undershirt, he tries to reconcile the number of years Jarad. Lears documentary follows three boys living in such a compound who signed up for a screenwriting class: Antonio Hernandez, Jarad Nava, and Juan Gamez. Ive since chosento leave the criminal lifestyle in my past and serve my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (SB 260 calls this diminished culpability.), Obviously, there are no easy answers. 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. Watching this documentary would lead one to realize that the society plays an important role in the prevention of juvenile delinquency. Antonio, one of Jarad's inmates, is blindsided by the news that he will be a free man. By 2010, about 250,000 teens were being prosecuted in adult courts every year, according to the Campaign for Youth Justice, which opposes the practice. 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. Doing the numbers it appears that a child age 0-9 is 15x more likely to be killed by an aggressive dog breed than a firearm (excluding homicides). They Call Us Monsters is a 2016 American documentary directed and produced by Ben Lear. They Call Us Monsters doesnt shy from the consequences of the violence the prisoners were accused of (we meet a paralyzed victim of a shooting), even as it suggests that the system from a state senator who warns of mini-Charlie Mansons to lawyers resigned to stiff sentences proceeds almost mechanically. Since rehabilitation programs continue to be underfunded, the recidivism rate isnt likely to go down. Another important area centers on the cognitive development and decision-making ability of minors in dangerous home environments. With powerful subject matter and masterful conceptualization, the film was captivating, each scene leaving me eager to find out how the story and those featured in it would develop. They Call Us Monsters takes viewers behind the walls of the Compound, the facility where Los Angeles houses its most violent juvenile criminals. All rights reserved. See production, box office & company info, Self - California State Assembly Member (D). 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. 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. They Call Us Monsters is a 2016 American documentary directed and produced by Ben Lear. Gabriel Cowan teaches a screenwriting class to juvenile offenders at The Compound. Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. As Newt Gingrich says in a news clip at the start of Lears film, There are no violent offenses that are juvenile; you rape somebody, youre an adult; you shoot somebody, youre an adult.. Stay in touch. 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. He receives a letter from Jarad. Even if he appears remorseless, there seems to be a softness there, or maybe just a deep need for approval. Antonio Hernnde4490 (@antoniohernandez0220)s videos with sonido original - Antonio Hernnde4490 | TikTok. 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. goes behind the walls of the Compound, a high-security facility where Los Angeles houses its most violent juvenile criminals. The short film, LOS, was written by Juan Gamez, Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez. Are there any TV or movies that would inspire you in trying to do your own film? This doc examines how minors are regarded in the justice system. [1] The teenagers participate in a screenwriting class at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles, California with producer Gabriel Cowan. Juan said he was in love with a girl when he was 10, but was too scared to tell her. CC. sonido original - joxls . Their parents grew up in identical conditions before them and know nothing of survival in an "acceptable" way because they have NEVER been given instruction. But each successive measure has passed with more and more support., California seems to be well on the right path, but there are a lot of states that are much further behind in that conversation, he said. Directed by: Ben LearThey Call Us Monsters Official Trailer 1 (2016) - Documentary In this fascinating, deeply human exploration of the blurring line between. . Edit your text regarding the suggestions. Hello. Lear, who released Lillian as an album, partnered with Plastic Pollution Coalition and 4Gyres to raise awareness for plastic pollution. "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 . Roxanne - Instrumental - Califa Azul. Though not everyone would be lucky enough to benefit from this process a whole other story some people who were serving life sentences for offenses they had committed as youths suddenly found themselves eligible for release. Watch on. Stars: Nora Kirkpatrick, Nate Corddry, Ernesto Hernndez, Allegra Acosta, Joel Anderson, Richard Bloom, Steven Fernandez, Ernesto Hernandez, Scott Budnick, Mike Camacho, Antonia Casas R, Yesenia Castro, Gabriel Cowan, Darrell J Edwards Jr, Darrell J Edwards Sr, Juan Gamez, Kath So most of the time, its easier for them to just be kids when theyre locked up.. Justice is not to seek retribution or eye for an eye, but there were homicides what they did and must pay in that sense. Focused on the specific stories of Jarad, Antonio, and Juan, the latter two exemplifying the large Latinopopulation that often finds itself behind bars, the project shows us how a screenwriting class allows these boys to think back to what drove them to where they are currently. To their advocates, they're kids. Director Benjamin Lear . Not just in the throes of puberty and adolescence but of self-discovery and coming of age.. Associated Press articles: Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. 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 . And in 2016, state voters approved a ballot measure that takes the decision on whether a teen should stand trial as an adult away from prosecutors and puts it in the hands of a juvenile court judge. Advertisement. - 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 . They Call Us Monsters. "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. If they weren't waiting for a trial for a crime they committed, they appear to be typical American teenagers. The Film. Also, people who have done enough time in prison age out of violent crime in their thirties and forties. When California advocates began pushing to scale back punishments for offenders like those in his film, Lear said, it seemed hopeless. Make sure to cite all the sources properly and rewrite direct quotations in your own words to decrease the level of plagiarism in your paper. Are we entirely the result of our environment? I was filled with conflicting emotions throughout. Juan and Jarad were 16 when they were arrested; Antonio was 14. PBS Independent Lens airs the film on Monday, May 22. Press Check button. 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. I appreciated that the consequences of such serious crimes were not swept under the rug: a victim of one of the shootings shares her story, and a large part of the film follows the struggles of the prisoners families. Weve posted their answers below, and also included the original letters if youd like to see an authentically handwritten response. In this movie, creator Ben Lear sheds valuable insight into the world of juveniles with life sentences. What TV and movies do you watch in there? It is available for streaming on both Netflix and iTunes. INDEPENDENT LENS: THEY CALL US MONSTERS 10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). 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 Call Us Monsters is a loud plea for our need to rethink how we understand the American justice system. Whats going on inside these households, schools, and streets? All Rights Reserved. To their victims, theyre monsters. Little Hope Was Arson: A Letter from a Texas Jail, Ben Lear Shows Reality and Human Face of Juvenile Justice System. Granted time should be done, but if prison is for rehabilitation and you give a sixteen-year-old 40 years to life, after 10 years hes truly changed, you still keep him inside. "They Call Us Monsters" looks at societal issues such as the processing of juvenile offenders ages 14-16 in the criminal justice system as adults. We have a small favor to ask. Crime Meet Juan, Jarad, and Antonio, all in their teens, all facing decades in prison. PBS Independent Lens airs the film on Monday, May 22. This work has led him to performances at TED and the UN. Do they deserve a second chance? Wait for a couple of seconds to let the tool find matching parts. The teacher, Gabriel Cowan (also a producer of the film), leads a workshop at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in the Sylmar neighborhood of Los Angeles. 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 first individual we come across is Antonio, who was arrested at the age of 14-years-old. 38 deaths from fire arms not ruled homicide. While the gravity of their crimes is great, these young men are still simply teenagers. 14 deaths from dangerous dog breeds. What other stories would you like to tell in film or writing? Do they deserve a second chance? 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. Im Juan and Jarad were 16 when they were arrested; Antonio was 14. Even the JC, listening on the other end of the line, is visibly moved. We incorporated that experience, the experience of telling someone you love them and how scary that is," says Cowan. Im guessing people probably think were still in the same mindset, and doing the same stuff. 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. We've posted their answers below, and also included the original letters if you'd like to see an authentically handwritten. When he heard about the bill, he joined forces with screenwriter Gabriel Cowan to produce the documentary "They Call Us Monsters.". Meet Juan, Jarad, and Antonio, all in their teens, all facing decades in prison. I do not agree. 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. Jarad and Juan are currently serving the remainder of their sentence at Ironwood state prison. Sorry your mother did what she did to you, it seems you are better off, Im sure it still hurts. TALKING" while everyone blathers on regardless. To their victims, they're monsters. 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. . 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. The proposed bill, SB 260, would allow juveniles to become eligible for parole earlier in their sentencing, after serving at least 15 years. When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted. 88 Likes, TikTok video from Elena2widdit (@elena2widdit): "#theycallusthemonsters #stevenfernandez #TurboTaxAndRelax #fyp". Its not an excuse by any means. being generous here 7 million pit bulls and Rottweilers and other dangerous breeds. Antonio Hernandez (@antoniohernandez5046)s videos with sonido original - Antonio Hernandez | TikTok. TikTok video from Antonio hernandez (@edgar_heernadez). Was there anything that tripped you out or that you learned about yourself after watching the movie? Ben Lear. 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. Premiered May 22, 2017 Directed by Ben Lear Three young violent offenders learn screenwriting in one of LA's high-security detention centers. Toward the end of They Call Us Monsters, Antonio has been released. Download a copy of Juan Gamezs complete handwritten letter. Read more, EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE POLICY 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. Eventually, police were able to identify the suspect as 19-year-old Antonio Hernandez. , would allow juveniles to become eligible for parole earlier in their sentencing, after serving at least 15 years. They Call Us Monsters. Back in 2013, California was debating whether to give teenagers who committed violent crimes a second chance. They Call Us Monsters 83% HD CC Documental 1h 21 minutos 2017 Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all between 14 and 16, face decades in prison. sonido original - Antonio Hernnde4490. 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. In Jarads case, he'll likelycome up for parole in 20-25 years, instead of the 80 or 90 years he would have had with a 160-year sentence. Maybe that journey toward remorse and responsibility is different for everyone. 1.7K Likes, TikTok video from antonio hernandez (@antonio_hernandezzz): "#fyp #foryou #foryoupage #trending #viral #foru #fyp". 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. All rights reserved. To others, they're monsters. 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 the system, they're adults. It is our responsibility to help the youth that want help. sonido original - Antonio Hernandez. 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. 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. 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. While the gravity of their crimes is great, these young men are still simply teenagers. This offers a clear path for states around the country to see what this type of reform can look like. 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. 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