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MillimeterDream Job: Video Reunion
Jun 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Cody Holt
Ellen Spiro empowers girls with incarcerated mothers to take control of not only part of the filmmaking process, but also their lives.
Troop 1500, Spiro’s 68-minute documentary, debuted on PBS’s Emmy Award-winning series “Independent Lens” in late March and is currently re-airing on local PBS stations across the nation.
Of the 650 convicted murderers, drug dealers, and thieves at Hilltop Women's Prison in Gatesville, Texas, many are also single mothers. In fact, it's estimated that 90 percent of female inmates in the United States are single parents, and their daughters are six times more likely to land in the juvenile justice system.
Since 1998, Girl Scouts of the USA has been working with the at-risk daughters of Hilltop's female inmates to deal with their unique circumstances and break the cycle of crime within their families. Founded by social worker Julia Cuba, Hilltop's Troop 1500 unites daughters with mothers, offering them a chance to rebuild their broken bonds through regular visits to the prison. Troop 1500 also meets outside of the prison, providing group and individual therapy for the girls, moms, and guardians, as well as transitional support services to the moms when they are released from prison, among other services.
When documentary filmmaker Ellen Spiro heard about Cuba and Troop 1500 from mutual friend Kinky Friedman, the musician and author who's planning to run for governor of Texas this year, Spiro says she knew immediately that she wanted to tell the troop's story. Spiro didn't waste time immersing herself in the troop, volunteering in her free time, and even teaching some of the girls to make documentary videos using small handheld DV cameras.
After the project was greenlighted in 2004, Spiro found both her creative partner, producer Karen Bernstein, and her creative direction. “What occurred to me is that if I allowed the girls to shoot parts of the film in a controlled environment, it would take the film to the place I couldn't take it myself,” Spiro says.
So after training the girls in camera, sound, and interviewing techniques, Spiro decided to let four of the girls interview their mothers. Each girl set up a small DV camera on a tripod and monitored sound while asking her own questions — tough questions like, “What did you think the first night you were in prison?” and “Why are you in prison?” Off in the corner, Spiro recorded the exchange on a Sony PD150.
“This went well beyond youth empowerment video. It was transformative for the girls,” Spiro says. “This was them understanding that they were going to have to be in control, not of the interview alone, but of their lives, or else they could end up just like their mothers.”
For more information, please visit www.mobilusmedia.com
