In the film Girlhood by Liz Garbus we are introduced to two young girl's named Megan and Shanae, who committed a crime and are getting help through a facility that helps young girls reflect on their actions. Shanae had to go to a lower security facility before her mother was convinced that she was rehabilitated. Additionally, the film has also been criticized for ignoring the workers at Waxter. However, it is also noteworthy that Megan is two years older than Shanae. The subject of their research lies in the standards of juvenile detention centers and facilities. In an interview with NPR, the films director, Liz Garbus, admits that Girlhood was originally a documentary about incarcerated boys, but the girls stories were more interesting to her. Both girls are likable, smart young women struggling to overcome traumatic backgrounds. Our managing editor an award-winning journalist has spent the past 7 years refining our roster. Unfortunately, juvenile crime is becoming more and more of an issue here. *Not Affiliated, Sponsored or Endorsed by any University. Its no wonder. Shanae committed the most serious of crimes, yet she's open-faced and radiant. On the other hand, Girl Hood creates an uncomfortable comparison between Shanae and Megan and their relationship with their mothers. That roster includes ''The Farm: Angola, U.S.A,'' an acclaimed film about the largest maximum-security prison in the United States, and ''The Execution of Wanda Jean,'' a sympathetic portrait of the first black woman executed in America in the last 50 years. By what name was Girlhood (2003) officially released in Canada in English? Megan, a pretty girl with a devilish gleam in her eye, tries to get by on charm, but she doesn't have Shanae's focus. Challenging Attachment http://articles.latimes.com/2003/nov/14/entertainment/et-girlhood14, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1514431. However, after the collective effort from her mother and rehabilitation officers, she becomes emotionally expressive. Privacy Policy, Download this Essay in word format (.docx), Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, Juvenile Detention and Corrections Standards, New Juvenile Detention Center, if Given Unlimited, Girlhood Juvenile Delinquents Shanae Megan Waxter Juvenile Essay. In the beginning, Shanae is not remorseful for committing murder (Garbus, 2003). The primary objective of the film is an exploration into the social implications for the increase of crime committed by young women such as Shanae and Megan. Assignment #2 In class we viewed documentary titled Girlhood, the film surrounded two teenage girls named Megan and Shanae. Then, she got up and walked off set. Or do some simply have the psychological equipment to move on while others don't? Shanae, an African-American who has been at Waxter for two years when the film begins, was sent there after stabbing a girl to death in a knife fight. She tries to reach out to her mother multiple times despite being disappointed numerous times. Some are held while they are waiting for a bed in a treatment center. Waxter Childrens Center in Laurel, Md., some 20 miles from Baltimore. The documentary Girlhood offers an insight on the emotional, psychological, and social reasoning behind the girl's actions. This presumption is damaging because ultimately Garbus makes uncomplicated subjects of the girls. As for the staff of the Waxter, they were awesome. Your email address will not be published. Impact of Trauma Photography Tony Hardmon. New York: Psychology Press. In Garbus version of their lives, these experiences do not bring them down. They emerge triumphant; their girlhood, we end up hoping, will be salvaged. LA Times reviewer Manohla Dargis notes, Garbus obsession with levity ultimately triumphs, leaving us with an unfinished picture: [T]o turn complex and contradictory lives into palatable narratives, is one of the least-examined pitfalls in nonfiction filmmaking. All the same, Marieme (Karidja Tour) goes through nearly as many shifts in appearance and identity as Boyhood's Mason. One perspective on the film Girl Hood is that it is a highly informative documentary film in which the director does a spectacular job revealing to the world the issues young women such as Megan and Shanae face on a daily basis. Second, she is distressed when her mother leaves. Girl Hood has been praised for its informative content and for raising awareness on a number of issues young people in detention centers face on a daily basis and how their lives lead to a life similar to their parents. Shot on digital video and Super 8 film over the course of three years, Girlhood provides a partial account of what happened to Shanae and Megan under the states alternately guarded and careless watch. In the film's most compelling scenes Megan confronts Vernessa, who has been released from prison and who professes her love and determination to be an anchor for her daughter. The field of Girlhood Studies continues to grow and perhaps offers guidance in understanding where Garbus erred. The film is intense and very blunt but it also does a great job of showing the human side of these two young people over a three year span of time. Follows two female inmates - victims of horrific violence and tragedy - who are serving time in a Maryland juvenile detention center. First, she has goals and aspirations. Shanae was arrested for murder at the age of 12, after stabbing a friend to death. This age difference is crucial because there is a mutability associated with Both Megan and Shenae's interactions with their 2 By continuing, you are agreeing to receive cookies. Garbus most recently directed What Happened, Miss Simone?, a Netflix doc about the life and music of Nina Simone. Finally, budgeting and staff elements are examined, with a need to create measures for evaluation to later test facility efficiency. Shanae and Megans girlhoods contain all that which other parts of life contain, and to think of Garbus idea of girlhood as winning at the end of the film is short-sighted and perhaps fails to move forward with Girlhood Studies attention to complexity and fullness (including pain) of this part of life for her subjects. 4 Pages. Filled with a new sense of hope and ambition, Megan got her life together, pursuing an education and focusing on her family. This confused young girl ran away from ten foster homes and wound up attacking another . The film is also said to be informative regarding the significance of the relationship between mothers and daughters. As Oprah questioned Megan about her current situation and plans for the future, the teen grew visibly agitated. The film leaves us with a final mystery about human development. Follows two female inmates - victims of horrific violence and tragedy - who are serving time in a Maryland juvenile detention center. The project, titled "Hood Girls," will be written and directed by Miriam Kruishoop ("Greencard Warriors") and produced by Atlantic Screen Productions. "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" Identification Abandoned by her mother, a heroin addict turned prostitute, Megan ran away from then different foster homes before being arrested on assault charges. Girlhood made its U.S. premiere at SXSW 2003, where it won the Audience Award for Documentary Feature. ET on OWN. It seemed like there was more of an effort to know where Shanae was and more help was provided for her then for Megan. By what name was Girlhood (2003) officially released in Canada in English? ''Girlhood'' is the newest entry in Ms. Garbus's long list of socially concerned documentaries made for theaters and television. After all, Shanae explains, at least the dead girl is in heaven. You get a sense of just how complicated when Shanae finally cops to her guilt. She had lived in an environment that was full of disruption. This documentary does look at the intersections of various identities and even struggles, but it fails to count them as essential facets of girlhood for Shanae and Megan. The girls have traumatic experiences that affect their relationship with others. Instead it resembles one of those depressingly familiar, underfunded and understaffed holding pens for social throwaways -- in other words, it looks as much like an inner-city high school as a correctional institution. This trend of progression is surging ahead at a rapid pace; however, it is very unfortunate to declare that many of the social dilemmas also exist in this industrialized world that is making millions of residents suffer from its drastic outcomes. My Essay Writerwas started by an award-winning journalist who saw the need from students to have someone take care of their annoying assignments for them. Megan, however, never received such support from her mother, or from the rest of her family. Girlhood was shown at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival and at the South by Southwest Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award. In the documentary, we learn that she runs away from foster care eleven times, ten before Waxter and once more after leaving Waxter. The film then narrows its focus to concentrate on the lives of two teenagers, Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen, both incarcerated for assault at the Waxter Juvenile Facility in Baltimore. "Girlhood Juvenile Delinquents Shanae Megan Waxter Juvenile" (2013, November 14) Retrieved April 18, 2023, from https://www.paperdue.com/essay/girlhood-juvenile-delinquents-shanae-megan-127185, "Girlhood Juvenile Delinquents Shanae Megan Waxter Juvenile" 14 November 2013. Shanae, after much perseverance, overcoming her appalling behaviours and graduate from high school. New York: Psychology Press. Im excited and honored that Atlantic Screen Productions embraced this extraordinary true tale and understands the urgency of making this film now. She's the sweetheart of the Waxter facility, even if. In the documentary Girlhood, Liz Garbus follows two young women who have encountered numerous misfortunes in the past that led them to implement their violent offences. Shanae is a plump black girl who mentions she lost her virginity in the Baltimore projects when she was 10, was raped by 5 boys at 11, and did drugs in her . Required fields are marked *. Megan also leaves Waxter. The girls crimes obviously color their experiences of girlhood, but they are humanized by Garbus editorial choices through camera angles, the stories we hear, the presentation of various sympathetic or irresponsible adults that accessorize and control the girls lives. She portrays this by her apprehensive response that she gives to her parent. 2 Working within the filmic fairy tale adaptation cycle that emerged between 2005 and 2015, this thesis investigates how girlhood is cinematically constructed through the lens of Megan, however, was virtually abandoned by her mother and received little support from the rest of the family. This film is not rated. The interview in this work in combination with, Most boys stay fourteen days or less. Even more disturbing is Megan's real acknowledgement of this abandonment. Web.18 April. All rights reserved. Documentary film is a powerful medium for psychology course instruction, providing examples of concepts, issues, and theoretical principles, embedded in the realworld human experience. In 1997 on a Baltimore street, Shanae got into a fight with 13-year-old Chineye Mills, allegedly over a boy. Decent Essays. Finally, she becomes distraught when her relationship with her mother ends. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. "I started using cocaine, I was strung out on drugs -- bad. Directed by Liz Garbus; director of photography, Tony Hardmon; edited by Mary Manhardt; music by Theodore Shapiro; produced by Ms. Garbus and Rory Kennedy; released by Wellspring. Her future appears shaky. Megan Jensen had a difficult childhood. As you watch it, you wish the film would fill in more of each girl's background. Just check our reviews! Shanae and Megan both experienced similar circumstances that yielded different outcomes. But Vernessa quickly reverts to her old ways, and the scenes of Megan viciously berating her mother for her failures are painful to watch. This leads to her eventual rehabilitation from delinquency. Brody, R., & Dwyer, D. (2016). A story of mothers and daughters, crimes and consequences, and strength in the face of unimaginable adversity, girlhood is a testament to the faith and struggles of two girls just trying to grow up. . Once Shanae begins to face the reality of what she did, she is transferred to a group home and begins to flourish. It depends on several factors, including the age of the offender, the level of crime, and whether it is a first or repeat offense. AQA Psychology: AS and A-level Year 1. The film follows them from 1999 through the year 2002. teaching psychology courses. However, the film ignores their concerns regarding the young girls and regarding the system. Gender Roles In The Film Girlhood. The film then changes focus on Megan and her deteriorating relationship with her mother. The first example is how wary she is of strangers (Eysenck, 2015). Megan, however, never received such support from her mother, or from the rest of her family. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/girlhood The impulse to end on an up note, to turn complex and contradictory lives into palatable narratives, is one of the least-examined pitfalls in nonfiction filmmaking. One of the biggest criticisms that Garbus. As to be expected, the revelations are often heartbreaking, at times infuriating, but because the film runs a total of 88 minutes theyre also manifestly unenlightening. Often it's not enough. When Girlhood opens, Shanae (we never learn her last name) is serving time in the all-girls unit at the Thomas J.S. That's when you really knew how much time and love were put in for the girls in this particular place. The new documentary Girlhood isnt a horror movie, but there isnt another movie this year that chills the blood as quickly as the brief exchange caught on camera between a 15-year-old girl and her parents. Shanae Owens is incarcerated after murdering a friend at age eleven and Megan Jensen for assault with a deadly weapon on a foster sibling. Like Us On Facebook | Follow Us On Twitter. Documentary chronicling America's justice system. Theres no denying the seduction and importance of a lot of this work, but sometimes it isnt enough to turn a camera on other peoples catastrophes. "I was really, really, really confused at the time," Megan says. Megan was shuffled through 11 different foster homes, running away from all except one. Girlhood misses some of the nuance of the girlhoods that it seeks to document in a few ways. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Is it maternal nurturing that makes the difference? AMCTheatres.com or AMC App New. Her emotional responses are not well adjusted. The two attend classes, hang out (rarely with each other), argue with their adult keepers, pout and rage and confess their secrets to Garbus carefully unobtrusive camera. Megan was shuffled through 11 different foster homes, running away from all except one. recently followed up with Megan to see what had happened after the show. Megan's mother was a drug-addled prostitute, and after being placed in, and escaping from, nearly a dozen foster homes, Megan committed a violent crime. The documentary "Girlhood" follows the lives of two girls, Shanae and Megan, from 1999-2002, during and shortly after their release from Waxter Juvenile Facility in Maryland. Oprah later told her she was the first person she had interviewed who had ever walked out on her. A narrative feature based on the two subjects of Liz Garbus' 2003 documentary "Girlhood," young female inmates Shanae Watkins and Megan Stahl, is in the works. See production, box office & company info. In American history, the history of juvenile corrections begins in, And since those who are forced into detention are disproportionately African-American, the problems caused by the detention of juveniles is particularly acute in the African-American community. ''Girlhood,'' which follows Shanae and Megan over three years beginning in 1999, doesn't pretend that a place like Waxter can hope to do the job by itself. She is often well behaved, but she still shows bouts of mischief. Cannily positioned in the U.S. as the distaff answer to Richard Linklater's Boyhood, Cline Sciamma's third feature (following Water Lilies and Tomboy) Girlhood doesn't follow its protagonist over the course of 12 years, or even over more than a year or so. She Alba Sotorra is an independent filmmaker and producer based in Barcelona. The main character joins a girls' gang and is soon stealing, extorting money from classmates, and beating up . She angrily lashes out at the girl, but shows no remorse when she finds out that she died. It is typically more difficult for adults to change their patterns of behavior than it is for younger people. . http://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-nov-14-et-girlhood14-story.html Her mother was largely able to chart Shanae's problem for the duration of the movie, because she cared about her and wanted to see her do better. Innumerable advancements and innovations have profoundly contributed to the betterment of the lives of the human race in the twenty first century. Of the two only Shanae receives that nurturing, and it seems to make all the difference. 1103 Words. The documentary follows the plight of Megan and Shanae (Garbus, 2003). Megan, the more unruly of the two is a little older than Shanae. ''GIRLHOOD,'' a new documentary, is a poignant and often distressing look at the lives of two teenage girls, inmates at the Thomas J. S. 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