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. TikTok video from Antonio Hernandez (@antoniohernandez517). They show Cowan a chair in a cell and Antonio says, King George sat here, and Juan laughs and makes a fart joke. In this movie, creator Ben Lear sheds valuable insight into the world of juveniles with life sentences. 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. Meanwhile, the boys wrote a screenplay, which their teacher, Gabriel Cowan, shot and edited into a 15-minute short, Los. The film-within-a-film structure of They Call Us Monsters replicates the repetitive nature of these very systemic contradictions that the boys face and endure, but in a way that allows for reflection as well as an understanding of the need for continued awareness and advocacy. This doc examines how minors are regarded in the justice system. Change is possible but forgiveness is needed.. Antonio could care less. 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. 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. 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. "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 . While the gravity of their crimes is great, these young men are still simply teenagers. 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). To others, they're . While the gravity of their crimes is great, these young men are still simply teenagers. 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. A producer took me to juvenile hall. The process of transforming real details into fiction seems to make the young men especially introspective. gender, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or other legally-protected characteristic in its programs and Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez (Hernandez is released partway . 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. 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. 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. Cast and crew Ben Lear Director Jarad Nava Juan Gamez Antonio Hernandez Darrell Edwards Additional information Directors Ben Lear Studio The Orchard Subtitles English (CC) Released year 2017 Duration 1 h 21 min Genres Documentary Foreign/Independent Size 4.67 GB (1080p HD) 2.18 GB (720p HD) 1.65 GB (SD) Instead of facing my life I numbed myself to it and behaved immaturely.. There are currently no airings of They Call Us Monsters. We need to remember that what we know is due to years of instruction, they are not innate abilities we understand when we are born--we have been taught. (SB 260 calls this diminished culpability.), Obviously, there are no easy answers. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. I do not think so. "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. The Los Angeles Film Festivalruns June 1-9, 2016. The prison has a channel in which they play some of the new movies coming outso we watch about everything and anything that tells a good story. 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. 83%. The film follows three young offenders who sign up to take a screenwriting class with producer Gabe Cowan as they await their respective trials. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. 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. While the gravity of their crimes is great, these young men are still simply teenagers. When California advocates began pushing to scale back punishments for offenders like those in his film, Lear said, it seemed hopeless. As a 16-year-old boy facing 90 years to life for first-degree murder, he seems to float somewhere above or below this fact, as do Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava, the other teenage boys awaiting similar sentences in Ben Lears moving documentary, They Call Us Monsters, a film that connects a 20-week screenwriting class inside Sylmar, a segregated unit for juveniles being tried as adults, with the passing of SB 260, legislation that grants youth serving life sentences the possibility of parole. Legislators debate legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders.Legislators debate legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders.Legislators debate legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders. Cast Jarad Nava, Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez | See Full Cast We thought that was funny. I really was." We've posted their answers below, and also included the original letters if you'd like to see an authentically handwritten. 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. Our news judgments are made independently not based on or influenced by donors. 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. 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. It establishes a parole process with different criteria.. Our organization retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization. They found him along the 4000 block of Green Tree Drive Wednesday and took him into custody. 2017. If they weren’t waiting for a trial for a crime they committed, they appear to be typical American Read more. Director Ben Lear Stars Allegra Acosta Joel Anderson (archive footage) Richard Bloom (archive footage) Be more independent. Musica para Noticias 2 - Musica para Noticias. Antonio Hernandez (@antoniohernandez5046)s videos with sonido original - Antonio Hernandez | TikTok. ENGLISH. Juan:Yes, I saw the movie, before release. Read more, FUNDER TRANSPARENCY POLICY Love does not conquer all nor is Lear suggesting this. Halfway through the class, Antonio returns to juvenile court and gets released with time served. You have to love it out of them, Cowan says. 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. It is true that they are children but they commited adult and serious crimes. 1.7K Likes, TikTok video from antonio hernandez (@antonio_hernandezzz): "#fyp #foryou #foryoupage #trending #viral #foru #fyp". He receives a letter from Jarad. I was raised by the juvenile system thanks to a mother who really didnt wanna be a mom anymore and thats putting it nicely ", Jarad: I dont like snakes, theres a fear of heights, Im not scared of heights, but theres a fear. To their victims, theyre monsters. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. According to California law, the U.S. injustice errr.justice system treats people aged 14-17 as adults when being sentenced for their crimes. Who you are as a teenager is not who you are when you grow up.. Associated Press articles: Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. 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. I was more critical than anything, but I think that thats just the person I was at that time., Jarad:Yes, I was given the opportunity to watch the documentary and it was uncomfortable at first watching myself. I dont know if its because I was acting like a fool. [Antonio was advised by his lawyer to decline a follow-up interview.]. It is available for streaming on both Netflix and iTunes. 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. 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. that, according to Budnick, Cowan, Lear and other prison-reform policy advocates, differentiates the young person from the adult. Another leads you on a mocking tour of his new home. 2023 University of Redlands. To their advocates, theyre kids. SALON is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. Justice is not to seek retribution or eye for an eye, but there were homicides what they did and must pay in that sense. Of the three young men it follows, Antonio faces 90 years to life for two attempted murders committed just after he turned 14. Also, people who have done enough time in prison age out of violent crime in their thirties and forties. What would the victims think? One of the victims of Jarads shooting is only 17 and permanently confined to a wheelchair. The film follows three juveniles: Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava. Juvenile Justice Information Exchange Juan Gamez has close-cropped, black hair and a baby face that remains expressionless except when he smiles. But by the end of the 10 weeks, Cowan says, they were all friends. Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all young teens, face decades in prison. I saw the boys experience a wide breadth of emotions, and the emotional walls they built up start coming down. 1091 Media. 88 Likes, TikTok video from Elena2widdit (@elena2widdit): "#theycallusthemonsters #stevenfernandez #TurboTaxAndRelax #fyp". Another, Juan, who joined a gang before his 13th birthday, faces 90. Summary. In California, the parole bill featured in Monsters ultimately passed in 2013. All three are looking at terms that could keep them behind bars for decades. Documentary 2017 1 hr 21 min iTunes. Three kids facing life in prison. This doc examines how minors are regarded in the justice system. Antonio, 14, is the most studious. At the start of the film, we watch as Juan, under surveillance, speaks on the phone with a girl. We are committed to transparency in every aspect of funding our organization. All three boys have, ------------------------------------------. Directors Ben Lear Starring Jarad Nava, Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez Genres Documentary Subtitles English [CC] [Antonio was advised by his lawyer to decline a follow-up interview.] "They Call Us Monsters," a film by Norman Lear's son Ben Lear, was released earlier this year and became available on Netflix in late May. Sitting in his white undershirt, he tries to reconcile the number of years Jarad. The documentary features three juvenile offenders: Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez, and Jarad Nava. 17.9K Likes, 65 Comments. 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. 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. Do you feel the law in California is generally fair when it comes to juveniles who commit violent crimes? Antonio Hernandez is known for Los (2015) and They Call Us Monsters (2016). 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. 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. Moved by his friends predicament, he says that he wants to become successful for him. What TV and movies do you watch in there? Its a lot harder for him to find drugs. Encouraged by Cowan and his classmates, Juan ended up calling his 10 year-old crush inside the jail. The 2016 released documentary inspects the experience of three juvenile prisoners facing life time imprisonment in Los Angeles Juvenile Detention Centre. See production, box office & company info, Self - California State Assembly Member (D). We have a small favor to ask. Thats whendirector Ben Learknew he had a film to make. Antonio Hernandez & Omar Montes 01:00 220 They Call Me Monster Mike Monster Mike Welch 01:00 1 What They Call Us? Whats going on inside these households, schools, and streets? I appreciate the support and open-mindedness.. As the boys work with Gabe on their screenplay, their complex stories are revealed. Add or change photo on IMDbPro Add to list More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Known for Los 8.5 Short Writer 2015 They Call Us Monsters 7.0 Self 2016 Credits Edit Writer1 Self1 IMDbPro Collapse below Writer Previous 1 Los writer Short 2015 IMDb Best of 2022 Instead of rehabilitating youth who have committed serious crimes, he says, its punishing them. Hello. 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. Gabriel Cowan teaches a screenwriting class to juvenile offenders at The Compound. [2][3], The documentary follows three young juvenile offenders who signed up for a screenwriting class with producer Gabriel Cowan as they await their respective trials in Los Angeles County. Of course, I would like to participate in activities like those even though Im incarcerated. Receive a report. Fathers in prison. You can see them hugging, you can see they felt a lot of success together, they went through a real experience together.. Theyre held in a special wing of the lockup reserved for teens who will be standing trial as adults. The short film, LOS, was written by Juan Gamez, Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez. You see this same willful blindness in the PBS documentary They Call Us Monsters. All Rights Reserved. with lengthy sentences, regardless of the fact that, as adolescents, they have no ability to see beyond the orbit of their own experience. Love does not conquer all nor is Lear suggesting this. Who Creates the Dragons Brave Knights must Slay? Ted Bundy, a good looking, well-educated monster, moved around the country killing at least 30 women in the 1970s, and for a time, he was the most wanted man in Colorado.. Bundy abducted and killed a 23-year old nurse who lived in Aspen. PBS Independent Lens airs the film on Monday, May 22. You can write a science fiction, you can write an animated film, you can write about ninjas, whatever you want.. Meet the Monsters: Documentary Looks at California Juvenile Debate. University of Redlands Emergency Alert System, Alert Received: . For some, the former is filled with sweet memories and coming-of-age tales, but for others, like the young men in the documentary entitled. 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 It concerns juveniles in California, accused of violent crimes,. They seem like typical American teenagers if they . Premiered May 22, 2017 Directed by Ben Lear Three young violent offenders learn screenwriting in one of LA's high-security detention centers. Their convictions range from charges of attempted murder to first degree murder, and slowly each boys character and the story of how he ended up in the compound is revealed. Ben Lear makes his directorial debut with "They Call Us Monsters," a searing but sensitive documentary following the experiences of juvenile offenders through the justice system.His father, Norman, used the form of the sitcom to hold a mirror up to American culture, but Ben takes a more direct approach with his non-fiction work, and the intuitive observation displayed in this film shows . 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. Do they deserve a second chance? 38 deaths from fire arms not ruled homicide. 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. - 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 . 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. Lear was available for questions after the showing at Redlands. Later, he calls Abby and uses Los as a script to narrate the depth of his feelings. Sign up for our newsletter and receive the coolest updates! 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, , a Los Angeles-based organization that teaches creative writing to kids in juvenile lockups. Documentary features three juvenile offenders at the Compound three juvenile offenders: Gamez. Undershirt, he tries to reconcile the number of years Jarad to take a screenwriting class juvenile! A Trademark of Salon.com, LLC wrote a screenplay, which their teacher, Gabriel Cowan shot..., LLC every aspect of funding our organization like those even though incarcerated... From Elena2widdit ( @ antoniohernandez5046 ) s videos with sonido original - Antonio Hernandez cast... Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited what they Call Us released documentary the! Was funny with time served are revealed [ Antonio was advised by his predicament. 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