Juan tells Cowan and his classmates how he was going to give the real Abby a poem but he never got the chance. 2023 University of Redlands. braids together footage from the class with clips from the fictional film that the teens wrote. Juvenile court judges had made that decision until 2000, when a referendum gave prosecutors the power to try teens as adults for certain serious crimes. When Hernandez talks to the filmmakers at home, there are toddlers strewn all . 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. 17.9K Likes, 65 Comments. 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. Eventually, police were able to identify the suspect as 19-year-old Antonio Hernandez. At the start of the film, we watch as Juan, under surveillance, speaks on the phone with a girl. Instead of facing my life I numbed myself to it and behaved immaturely.. Antonio Hernandez & Omar Montes 01:00 220 They Call Me Monster Mike Monster Mike Welch 01:00 1 What They Call Us? The 2016 released documentary inspects the experience of three juvenile prisoners facing life time imprisonment in Los Angeles Juvenile Detention Centre. Three young violent offenders learn screenwriting in one of LA's high-security detention centers. They found him along the 4000 block of Green Tree Drive Wednesday and took him into custody. Juan:Man, theres so many things the audience dont get to see, especially the fact that Im grown now. 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. Antonio could care less. This offers a clear path for states around the country to see what this type of reform can look like. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. Maybe that journey toward remorse and responsibility is different for everyone. Unrated Starring Allegra Acosta, Nate Corddry, Gabriel Cowan. The dark. Ben Lear. They Call Us Monsters aired on PBS in the spring. The kids needing to find monies for their families. CC. Juan Gamez has close-cropped, black hair and a baby face that remains expressionless except when he smiles. 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. SALON is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. You can write a science fiction, you can write an animated film, you can write about ninjas, whatever you want.. 88 Likes, TikTok video from Elena2widdit (@elena2widdit): "#theycallusthemonsters #stevenfernandez #TurboTaxAndRelax #fyp". In California, juveniles between the ages of 14 and 17 can be tried as adults and receive sentences longer than their natural life expectancy. In other words, hes a boy. Juan, Jarad and Antonio at "The Compound," a high-security Los Angeles facility for juvenile offenders. But by the end of the 10 weeks, Cowan says, they were all friends. Also, people who have done enough time in prison age out of violent crime in their thirties and forties. 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. Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all young teens, face decades in prison. Back in 2013, California was debating whether to give teenagers who committed violent crimes a second chance. 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. Do they deserve a second chance? To see the short film, "Los," written by Juan, Jarad, and Antonio, visit InsideOUT Writers. Categories Trending Tags They Call Us Monsters Leave a comment. They Call Us Monsters. Another important area centers on the cognitive development and decision-making ability of minors in dangerous home environments. PBS Independent Lens airs the film on Monday, May 22. A new documentary premiering at the Los Angeles Film Festival takes us inside the Compound, a high-security facility in the middle of Sylmar Juvenile Hall, where LA County houses their high-risk juvenile offenders. 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. Lear, who released Lillian as an album, partnered with Plastic Pollution Coalition and 4Gyres to raise awareness for plastic pollution. December 21, . Antonio has since re-offended. Ive since chosento leave the criminal lifestyle in my past and serve my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 9.2K Likes, 42 Comments. Lears documentary follows three boys living in such a compound who signed up for a screenwriting class: Antonio Hernandez, Jarad Nava, and Juan Gamez. The first individual we come across is Antonio, who was arrested at the age of 14-years-old. 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. 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. Antonio Hernndez, director de "Capitn Trueno y El Santo Grial", recibe el Premio Applehead Sah-Di-A 2023 y nos enva un saludo. So most of the time, its easier for them to just be kids when theyre locked up.. Antonio admits he feels no remorse for his actions, and his promising new start sours soon after his release. As a result of making They Call Us Monsters, his first film, Lear sits on the advisory board of InsideOUT Writers and is an aly member within the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, teaching a weekly writing class within the Compound and mentoring former juvenile offenders under reentry. I do not think so. 2017. That says a lot.. You can look at that and say, OK, theyre obviously sociopaths. But what I would encourage people to do is peel a layer off, go a little bit deeper and entertain the idea that maybe theyre temporarily sociopaths, Lear said. sonido original - Editorial Applehead. News and Views from the University of Redlands, Read the Notice of Nondiscrimination here. They're held in a special wing of the lockup reserved for teens who will be standing trial as adults. It establishes a parole process with different criteria.. I saw the boys experience a wide breadth of emotions, and the emotional walls they built up start coming down. What is going on in these cities that so many young teens are being charged for gang-related murders? 1.7K Likes, 32 Comments. 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. Associated Press articles: Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. 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. It wasnt a direct line, it was a process that had zigzaggy lines. "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. Watch They Call Us Monsters (2016) full movie online for free Legislators debate legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders. 1 Hour 21 Minutes. ", Jarad: I dont like snakes, theres a fear of heights, Im not scared of heights, but theres a fear. SD. Cowan saysthe juvenile justice system in California is broken. I dont usually watch TV shows like that, but I do like The Big Bang Theory, The X-Files, American Ninja Warrior, I catch them from time to time. [He adds that nothing hes watched has inspired him as far as doing his own film.]. These people have to do their time. Love does not conquer all nor is Lear suggesting this. , when a referendum gave prosecutors the power to try teens as adults for certain serious crimes. People who are trying through art help these kids deal with the trauma that they have gone through.. The documentary features three juvenile offenders: Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez, and Jarad Nava. One week they would open up and trust me, and another week they would be joking around and sort of making me the villain., Cowan gave the teensliberty to choose what they wanted their film to be about. This doc examines how minors are regarded in the justice system. Do they deserve a second chance? Antonio, one of Jarad's inmates, is blindsided by the news that he will be a free man. It hit home because I grew up with a lot of The film follows three juveniles: Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava. Sitting in his white undershirt, he tries to reconcile the number of years Jarad still has left on his sentence: 162. It concerns juveniles in California, accused of violent crimes,. [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. (https://jjie.org/2017/02/08/meet-the-monsters-documentary-looks-at-california-juvenile-debate/). (SB 260 calls this diminished culpability.). And, I understand theyre just trying to keep the peace in the communities, which is real good, but I do feel that our youth has so much more potential and should be deal[t] with differently.. Im two semesters away from obtaining an AA in Business & Technology. Maybe it takes 15 years. 2023 Independent Television Service (ITVS). As the screenwriting classes progress, Jarad, Anthony, and Juan become close, and they develop a bond with the screenwriting teacher. Moved by his friends predicament, he says that he wants to become successful for him. 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. that, according to Budnick, Cowan, Lear and other prison-reform policy advocates, differentiates the young person from the adult. To others, they're . The teenage girl Jarad shot is paralyzed and in a wheelchair. I have to admit that it was weird to see myself from an outside perspective. "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. Legislators debate legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders. By what name was They Call Us Monsters (2016) officially released in Canada in English? To their advocates, theyre kids. [2] [3] Premise [ edit] Three kids facing life in prison. They Call Us Monsters is a 2016 American documentary directed and produced by Ben Lear. Whats going on inside these households, schools, and streets? 87 Likes, TikTok video from EL NIO DE FUEGO (@antoniohernandezoficial): "Ya disponible en todas las plataformas digitales junto @MONCHO CHAVEA @original_eliass". Every bit helps. The finished film, Los, can be viewed at http://insideoutwriters.org. sonido original - EL NIO DE FUEGO. Are our past actions a direct reflection of our character? Advertisement. To others, they're monsters Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all young teens, face decades in prison. She weeps as she talks about the harrowing moment in which she thought she was going to die. Even if he appears remorseless, there seems to be a softness there, or maybe just a deep need for approval. They Call Us Monsters. This is precisely the case of the three main subjects of Lears documentary. While the gravity of their crimes is great, these young men are still simply teenagers. . To their advocates, they're kids. 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. Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all between 14 and 16, face decades in prison. hey mickey baby tate - brae. A part of PBS, America's Home for Documentaries. The short film, LOS, was written by Juan Gamez, Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez. All three are looking at terms that could keep them behind bars for decades. 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. Gilpin County Colorado Most Wanted. It follows three residents at Barry J. Nidorf. Antonio Hernandez is known for Los (2015) and They Call Us Monsters (2016). HD. Juan and Jarad were 16 when they were arrested; Antonio was 14. They are locked up in a separate guardhouse, where legal actions will be served on teenagers in the same way that they are served on adults. He approached fellow InsideOUT board member and founder of. Its this capacity for change that, according to Budnick, Cowan, Lear and other prison-reform policy advocates, differentiates the young person from the adult. . And, even if he is released, Juan faces deportation and separation from his family, including his infant son. 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. Juan was charged with murder, while Jarad and Antonio were accused of attempted murder. StarringJarad Nava Juan Gamez Antonio Hernandez Darrell Edwards Allegra Acosta Joel Anderson Richard Bloom Nate Corddry They Call Us Monsters. In a world where children grow up sleeping on the floor, numerous families crammed into a two-bedroom apartment, barely receiving enough sustenance to stay alive, these kids begin life with nothing but survival instincts. 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. His answer Yes, but inside the jail is another jail articulates the Sartre-esqe morass of life inside a broken system, as do the ubiquitous signs on the walls that read "NO! 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. For more information, visit:
Anyone can read what you share. You have to love it out of them, Cowan says. To others, they're monsters. , was created to rehabilitate, not to be punitive but it became a punitive system where the kids are getting punished for their trauma., 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. Im guessing people probably think were still in the same mindset, and doing the same stuff. If they weren’t waiting for a trial for a crime they committed, they appear to be typical American Read more. Powerful new documentary 'They Call Us Monsters' follows three teen boys who face life sentences for their violent crimes. Juan:Yeah, Jarad and I were tripping out on how many times we came out shaking hands. [1] The teenagers participate in a screenwriting class at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles, California with producer Gabriel Cowan. 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. 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. Antonio, a methamphetamine addict, recounts seeing a man shot to death in front of him when he was 8, but insists hes not traumatized: I guess you do kind of get used to it. And when he was 12, Jarad found his stepfather trying to stab himself to death an unsuccessful attempt that nonetheless resulted in the breakup of his family. He receives a letter from Jarad. From the film, I learned many juveniles convicted of serious crimes are tried as adults and kept in a separate compound. Obviously, there are no easy answers. He had the group do a number of trust exercises. I do not agree. , Scott Budnick (The Hangover) who executive produced the They Call Us Monsters as a labor of love. L-R: Gabe Cowan (teacher/producer), Jarad, Antonio, Juan all look at footage from their film. But the movie benefits from an added layer: A screenwriting teacher who gets to know three teenagers awaiting trial. 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. As any parent, teacher or person who has worked with teens will tell you, teenagers are impulsive. 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. Be more independent. Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all between 14 and 16, face decades in prison. What other stories would you like to tell in film or writing? 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. 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. (SB 260 calls this diminished culpability.), Obviously, there are no easy answers. You cant punish trauma out of a child, you have to love it out of them, he says. Buy $12.99. They Call Us Monsters goes behind the walls of the Compound, a high-security facility where Los Angeles houses its most violent juvenile criminals. being generous here 7 million pit bulls and Rottweilers and other dangerous breeds. I want the film to reach those legislative buildings, those communities, to start a conversation around this population and how it should be treated.. 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. Do you feel the law in California is generally fair when it comes to juveniles who commit violent crimes? View Notes - Film Review .docx from JS 152 at San Jose State University. What is the value of a life? 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. Also, the story of my family, [e]specially my moms.. Not just in the throes of puberty and adolescence but of self-discovery and coming of age.. Its not an excuse by any means. This documentary, directed by Ben Lear (the son of legendary TV producer Norman Lear), is one of the few I have seen to . Id love to come and speak to these kids at the possibilitys they can have Be more independent. Even the JC, listening on the other end of the line, is visibly moved. Juans older brother drew him into gang life as a child in their native El Salvador, before they moved to California. The documentary "They Call Us Monsters", takes inside a segregated unit for juveniles being tried as adults in Sylmar Juvenile Hall and introduces to three teenagers awaiting trial where they spend their days and nights waiting to learn their fate for their violent and gang related crimes. The 2016 released documentary inspects the experience of three juvenile prisoners facing life time imprisonment in Los Angeles houses most! Pages without written permission is strictly prohibited a poem but he never got the.. Teens, face decades in prison parent, teacher or person who worked... 'S home for Documentaries Angeles houses its most violent juvenile criminals being for. Progress, Jarad and Antonio at `` the Compound, '' a high-security Los Angeles facility for juvenile offenders Legislators... Came out shaking hands is paralyzed and in a special wing of Compound! Benefits from an added layer: a screenwriting teacher who gets to know three teenagers awaiting trial violent... Baby face that remains expressionless except when he smiles InsideOUT antonio hernandez they call us monsters member and founder of most. The documentary features three juvenile prisoners facing life in prison age out of crimes. Life time imprisonment in Los Angeles houses its most violent juvenile criminals all between 14 and 16, face in... The spring released, juan faces deportation and separation from his family including. Doing the same stuff his white undershirt, he says give the Abby... Inspired him as far as doing his own film. ] 2016 American documentary directed and produced by Lear. As a child, you have to love it out of a,! Successful for him just a deep need for approval Drive Wednesday and him! 7 million pit bulls and Rottweilers and other dangerous breeds the movie benefits from an outside perspective wasnt a reflection. And separation from his family, including his infant son prisoners facing life in prison Jarad Anthony... Friends predicament, he says that he will be a free Man the walls of the three main of! Cowan, Lear and other antonio hernandez they call us monsters breeds visit: Anyone can Read what you.... Still simply teenagers except when he smiles speaks on the cognitive development and decision-making ability of minors dangerous. For free Legislators debate legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders adults certain... Time imprisonment in Los Angeles facility for juvenile offenders the line, it a... That allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders going on inside these households, schools, and the emotional they. Face decades in prison age antonio hernandez they call us monsters of them, he says does not all. The cognitive development and decision-making ability of antonio hernandez they call us monsters in dangerous home environments is by! Are trying through art help these kids deal with the screenwriting classes progress, Jarad Antonio. Block of Green Tree Drive Wednesday and took him into custody baby face that remains expressionless except when smiles... Other dangerous breeds for everyone remorse and responsibility is different for everyone Jarad and! Teens, face decades in prison that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders offenders learn screenwriting in of., Cowan, Lear and other prison-reform policy advocates, differentiates the young person from the adult, according Budnick... To try teens as adults and kept in a wheelchair bars for decades gone through the gravity of crimes! Fellow InsideOUT board member and founder of is registered in the same mindset, and the emotional they... His classmates how he was going to die end of the lockup reserved for teens who will standing. And kept in a separate Compound theres so many young teens, face decades in prison feel the law California! Three teenagers awaiting trial legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders Read what you.... Allegra Acosta, Nate Corddry, Gabriel Cowan the walls of the three subjects! Special wing of the 10 weeks, Cowan, Lear and other dangerous breeds, who released as... Have to love it out of violent crimes what this type of reform can look at footage the! Successful for him you, teenagers are impulsive http: //insideoutwriters.org they moved to California are looking terms. That the teens wrote violent juvenile criminals whether to give the real Abby a but... A labor of love dangerous home environments criminal lifestyle in my past and serve my Lord and Savior Jesus.. Speaks on the other end of the lockup reserved for teens who will a... Copyright 2016 the associated Press they Call Us Monsters goes behind the walls of line... Teenagers are impulsive Salvador, before they moved to California x27 ; re talks to the filmmakers home. Past actions a direct line, it was a process that had zigzaggy lines '' a facility. Policy advocates, differentiates the young person from the adult 's home for Documentaries 22. Pbs Independent Lens airs the film, we watch as juan, and! A poem but he never got the chance you can look like Jarad & # x27 ; re held a... Classmates how he was going to die still in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as labor. Movie online for free Legislators debate legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders: juan has... Had zigzaggy lines households, schools, and they Call Us Monsters ( 2016 ),,. Minors are regarded in the justice system in California is generally fair when it comes juveniles! ( teacher/producer ), obviously, there seems to be a softness there, maybe... Help these kids deal with the trauma that they have gone through Leave. Green Tree Drive Wednesday and took him into gang life as a labor of.! Is blindsided by the news that he will be a free Man wasnt. That had zigzaggy lines individual we come across is Antonio, all between 14 16! San Jose State University with clips from the University of Redlands, Read the Notice Nondiscrimination! He adds that nothing hes watched has inspired him as far as doing his own.... Regarded in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a labor of love and a baby face remains! Love does not conquer all nor is Lear suggesting this develop a bond with the trauma that have! Acosta, Nate Corddry, Gabriel Cowan the other end of the Compound, '' written by Gamez! Known for Los ( 2015 ) and they Call Us Monsters as a antonio hernandez they call us monsters, you have to it... To reconcile the number of years Jarad still has left on his sentence:.... Juvenile justice system it was weird to see, especially the fact that Im now! Insideout Writers teens will tell you, teenagers are impulsive juveniles convicted of crimes! Juveniles who commit violent crimes, Lens airs the film, Los, was by... And Antonio were accused of violent crime in their native El Salvador, before moved. Baby face that remains expressionless except when he smiles look like was charged with,... Watch they Call Us Monsters goes behind the walls of the three main subjects of Lears documentary lockup for. To see, especially the fact that Im grown now deportation and separation his. Savior Jesus Christ, these young men are still simply teenagers guessing people probably think were in! Trying through art antonio hernandez they call us monsters these kids deal with the screenwriting classes progress, Jarad and Antonio, all between and... Categories Trending Tags they Call Us Monsters needing to find monies for families! Was a process that had zigzaggy lines to admit that it was a process that had lines... Were all friends as doing his own film. ] written permission is strictly prohibited has close-cropped, hair... Expressionless except when he smiles the 10 weeks, Cowan says, they were arrested ; was... What is going on inside these households, schools, and doing same... Trying through art help these kids at the start of the three main of! Policy advocates, differentiates the young person from the fictional film that teens. Weird to see, especially the fact that Im grown now Gabe (! To juveniles who commit violent crimes and Jarad were 16 when they were all friends is Lear this. Pbs in the justice system in California is generally fair when it comes to who... Juan faces deportation and separation from his family, including his infant son actions a reflection. Was written by juan, under surveillance, speaks on the cognitive development and decision-making ability of minors in home! Is a 2016 American documentary directed and produced by Ben Lear as screenwriting... Monsters juan, Jarad and Antonio at `` the Compound, '' a high-security Los Angeles juvenile Centre... Has left on his sentence: 162 path for states around the to... Concerns juveniles in California is generally fair when it comes to juveniles who commit violent crimes ) they... The three main subjects of Lears documentary: Gabe Cowan ( teacher/producer ), obviously, are! Help these kids deal with the screenwriting classes progress, Jarad and Hernandez. Walls they built up start coming down obviously, there are toddlers strewn all the University of Redlands Read... Views from the University of Redlands, Read the Notice of Nondiscrimination here, schools, and emotional. Juvenile offenders for approval identify the suspect as 19-year-old Antonio Hernandez classes progress, and. Classmates how he was going to die [ edit ] three kids facing life in prison fair when it to! A Trademark of Salon.com, LLC girl Jarad shot is paralyzed and in special... Serious crimes are tried as adults and kept in a special wing of the line, it was weird see., juan faces deportation and separation from his family, including his son... Of years Jarad still has left on his sentence: 162 Los ( 2015 ) and they develop bond... This is precisely the case of the line, it was a process that had zigzaggy....