Once Shanae begins to face the reality of what she did, she is transferred to a group home and begins to flourish. But it also made me wonder, why was Megan not looked after in essence like Shanae was? Not surprisingly, by the end of the documentary she is living alone in Baltimore while Shanae was living with her family and doing well in high school while preparing to attend a junior college. "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" "I started using cocaine, I was strung out on drugs -- bad. Times guidelines: Adult language, some drug use, strong emotional content. But Garbus way of humanizing, in some instances, obfuscates the complexity of struggle, survival and the bad from the girls girlhood. Your email address will not be published. Despite the locked doors and garish green paint daubing the hallways, the Waxter center doesnt look all that forbidding. ''Girlhood, which was shot in 16 millimeter, is a bare-bones affair, as spare as the juvenile institution in which much of it was filmed. Megan, the other young offender continues to practise delinquent . 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. 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. As a child, her mother was absent. One of the biggest criticisms that Garbus. Megan, however, was virtually abandoned by her mother and received little support from the rest of the family. Copyright 2022 Women and Hollywood. 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. Megan, however, never received such support from her mother, or from the rest of her family. In the second segment, she runs away from foster homes to try to live with her mother. Age discrimination, How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Rainn Wilson, Review: Thoughtful whimsy animates Haruki Murakami adaptation Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, An earthquake made Makoto Shinkai a disaster artist. Some boys are bailed out by their parents and in other cases they are released by the judge. Then, she got up and walked off set. Eysenck, M. (2015). The project, titled Hood Girls, will be written and directed by Miriam Kruishoop (Greencard Warriors) and produced by Atlantic Screen Productions. Girlhood isnt about an abstraction like the wrongs of the state penal system -- indeed there is very little about how Waxter works (or doesnt) day to day -- its about two very real and complicated kids, each of whom could fill up hours of screen time. "I just lost all respect for myself," she says. While Shanae told her own story -- murdering another girl after the two got into an argument -- and shared remorse for her violent actions, Megan seemed much more guarded. One of the biggest criticisms that Garbus, It is typically more difficult for adults to change their patterns of behavior than it is for younger people. The effects of detention have been researched and discovered to be detrimental to the safety and mental health of the juvenile, as well as increase the chance of recidivism. "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. Follows two female inmates - victims of horrific violence and tragedy - who are serving time in a Maryland juvenile detention center. teaching psychology courses. Megan also leaves Waxter. In the lower security facility interview, Shanae reveals that five men gang-raped her when she was young. The disrupted attachment led to a paradoxical relationship with the caregivers in Waxter (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010). Shanae and Megan both experienced similar circumstances that yielded different outcomes. The documentary follows the plight of Megan and Shanae (Garbus, 2003). Shanae, however, simply had to acknowledge her culpability in the murder of a friend before being able to effect a significant change in the direction of her life. Then, everything changed when Megan got pregnant. Even more disturbing is Megan's real acknowledgement of this abandonment. Both Megan and Shenae's interactions with their 2 When Girlhood opens, Shanae (we never learn her last name) is serving time in the all-girls unit at the Thomas J.S. Even though her mother has a problem with drugs and prostitution, she is distressed when she does not receive visits or calls from her. However, it is also noteworthy that Megan is two years older than Shanae. recently followed up with Megan to see what had happened after the show. Unfortunately, this meant that she had no time to supervise and spend most time with Shanae. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/girlhood ~ (Source: Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide). When Megan talks of her mother, it is apparent that Megan suffers from her neglect and lack of structure. Garbus, director of the acclaimed prison documentary, The Farm: Angola, USA, examines the disparate fates of these girls and their very different treatment at the hands of the juvenile justice system. After watching the documentary, it is easy to see that Megans environment has contributed greatly to her childhood and ultimately her adult life. 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. She receives more family support than Megan is, but she does not seem to reciprocate it at the beginning of the film. One characteristic of resilience that Megan portrays is her perseverance. She gave birth to a daughter and moved to North Carolina in an effort to start anew. Open Document. By age 10, she had been committed to two psychiatric hospitals and diagnosed as manic-depressive. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, t. Find help here.]. In the end, it seems the title Girlhood is both revealing and a misnomer: this film is about the liminal space of girlhoods colored by destabilizing events in their lives (and the larger systems and circumstances dictated by a society that easily discards the humanity of girls, people of color, queer people, differently abled people and poor people). ''Girlhood'' is the newest entry in Ms. Garbus's long list of socially concerned documentaries made for theaters and television. Girlhood Directed by Liz Garbus Documentary, Crime Not Rated 1h 22m By Stephen Holden Oct. 29, 2003 Liz Garbus's hard-headed documentary film ''Girlhood'' is prefaced with an unsettling. Garbus most recently directed What Happened, Miss Simone?, a Netflix doc about the life and music of Nina Simone. Miriam Kruishoop (Greencard Warriors) has signed on to write and direct Hood Girls, a narrative feature based on the life stories of the two subjects of Liz Garbus 2003 documentary Girlhood. Running time: 88 minutes. Shanae had a substantially greater amount of support than Megan did. 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. 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 . "I didn't know how to love anybody or to depend on people because I never had anyone stable enough in my life to actually show me that kind of love and compassion.". 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. Our managing editor an award-winning journalist has spent the past 7 years refining our roster. Megan was shuffled through 11 different foster homes, running away from all except one. There are a number of reasons for why Shanae was able to turn her life around whereas Megan was not. Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. Impact of Trauma Co-producer, sound Amy Goodman. Often it's not enough. Feb 26th, 2022 Published. The first example is how wary she is of strangers (Eysenck, 2015). 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. Director Liz Garbus. I have three lovely kids," she says. AQA Psychology: AS and A-level Year 1. An alternate perspective of Girl Hood is that it is a film that tries too hard to achieve an ending on a positive note. Unfortunately, juvenile crime is becoming more and more of an issue here. As for the staff of the Waxter, they were awesome. After all, Shanae explains, at least the dead girl is in heaven. That was 11 years ago. The documentary Girlhood offers an insight on the emotional, psychological, and social reasoning behind the girl's actions. Wake up to the day's most important news. Girlhood. She portrays this by her apprehensive response that she gives to her parent. Shanae committed the most serious of crimes, yet she's open-faced and radiant. The girls have traumatic experiences that affect their relationship with others. She tries to reach out to her mother multiple times despite being disappointed numerous times. With these questions in mind, I use feminist textual analysis to examine three filmsNausica of the Valley of the Wind (1984), Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), and Princess Mononoke (1997)by acclaimed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki in which girl characters and girlhood play prominently into the film's construction as a whole. As she grows up, she realizes that she cannot rely on anyone and starts to take better care or herself. The relationship between staff and the young girls is also essential to how the girls grow and move forward with their lives. You could hear the emotions and felt the anger, the sadness. Volatile, articulate and desperately needy, Megan seethes with bitterness at having been abandoned by her mother, Vernessa, a heroin addict and prostitute, who has spent many years in prison. Growing up, Megan had shuffled through 11 different foster homes, running away from all but one of them. The new documentary "Girlhood" isn't a horror movie, but there isn't another movie this year that chills the blood as quickly as the brief exchange caught on camera between a 15-year-old girl. Press ESC to cancel. Educates, Advocates, and Agitates for Gender Diversity and Inclusion in Hollywood and the Global Film Industry, In Her Voice: Women Directors Talk Directing, List of Databases for Women in the Film Industry, Celebrating 15 Years of Women and Hollywood, A Message to the Women and Hollywood Community, AFI DOCS and Provincetown Fests Will Open and Close with Women-Directed Pics, Hot Docs 2018 Women Directors: Meet Laura Bari Primas, Hot Docs 2018 Women Directors: Meet Alba Sotorra Commander Arian. It was so true and it left me with a nice feeling knowing there are people out there that do love what they do. AFI DOCS, a documentary fest in the Laura Bari made her full-length debut with Antoine, a documentary about the imaginary life of a blind boy. However, her mother is a struggling drug addict who is unable to offer the care and support that she required. This leads to her eventual rehabilitation from delinquency. Third, Shanae becomes emotionally expressive. With its drab green walls and sparse furnishings, Waxter is no country club. The pair form a strong friendship and, under the guidance and treatment of a dedicated psychotherapist, endeavor to change their lives and strive for a brighter future. Liz Garbus's hard-headed documentary film ''Girlhood'' is prefaced with an unsettling statistic: in the last decade the number of violent assaults by under-age girls in this country has doubled. Assignment #2 In class we viewed documentary titled Girlhood, the film surrounded two teenage girls named Megan and Shanae. You get a sense of just how complicated when Shanae finally cops to her guilt. His first civics lesson? Garbus rigidity in framing the girls experiences does not allow for the expansiveness and complexity allowed by new theories of girlhood. There are a couple of different things I would attempt to implement if I were the director of the Waxter Juvenile Facility to make the program more efficacious for juveniles sent there for reform. New York: Psychology Press. The documentary follows the plight of Megan and Shanae (Garbus, 2003). Shaffer, D. R., & Kipp, K. (2010). While taking the country, Following an investigations there were findings that certain violations were evident and specifically those relating to failure to protect confined juveniles from harm; failure to address incidences of youth violence due to inadequate supervision; failure to protect juveniles confined from participation in sexual activity; and excessive use of physical force, among other serious violations all clearly in violation of professional standards and conduct. New and Upcoming Science Fiction and Fantasy. References 2023, https://www.paperdue.com/essay/girlhood-juvenile-delinquents-shanae-megan-127185, Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative Revise AS Level Psychology. She is often well behaved, but she still shows bouts of mischief. http://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-nov-14-et-girlhood14-story.html Most of these reasons were actually some of the primary themes in Liz Garbus' documentary Girlhood, which followes the lives of these young women for three years from the Waxter Juvenile Detention Center to the streets of Baltimore. Second, she is unable to regulate her emotions (Garbus, 2003). The length of her stay at Waxter will depend on whether she can acknowledge what she did and show appropriate remorse. How A Violent Teen Who Had Given Up On Life Turned It All Around. It seemed like there was more of an effort to know where Shanae was and more help was provided for her then for Megan. Eighty percent of cases do not, Juvenile Detention Standards We now have the best team of essay writers in the world. At twelve years old Shanae was involved in a fight that ended with Shanae stabbing and killing a young girl. Running time: 1 hour, 28 minutes. What both girls crave is the stabilizing force of a caring and responsible mother. The hard cases penned up here are girls whose youth, bright smiles and flashes of irritation at being kept under lock and key belie their grim, violent histories. These girls are the subjects of Liz Garbus' documentary, Girlhood.