Documentary Filmmaking
A FEATURE-LENGTH DOCUMENTARY!
“AM I BROKEN?” tells the story of putting hope back into the lives of four young children who have given up on themselves. Their behavior disorders have excluded them from traditional educational settings and isolated them socially. Our story follows the journey of self-discovery and healing that puts them back on the road to a fulfilled life. It is told through the eyes of a child as teachers help them to understand themselves and instill confidence that they are capable of having the meaningful human relationships we all seek.
The children who come to the doorstep of Children’s Institute for Learning Difference (CHILD) have been failed by traditional teaching techniques. Their parents are at wits end and the children are without the tools they need to live a normal life. The teachers at CHILD do what no one else has been able to accomplish, they seek to reach the child, find their behavior triggers, and give them the tools they need to manage their own behaviors so they can re-enter the mainstream educational system.
PRODUCTION
“AM I BROKEN?” is ultimately a story about the restorative nature of hope, and the growth for these four children as they undertake extraordinary journeys of discovery with the guidance of devoted teachers. The cameras captured each of the four stories, shooting every day throughout the 2009/10 school year accumulating more than 400 hours of footage. The resulting stories are about both heart wrenching change and the ongoing struggle to find answers.
The guiding philosophies for this production were to create intimacy with its subjects and to immerse the viewer in the child’s world. Intimacy was created with a one person crew on-site every day for the duration of the project. Relationships were developed and trust was built between the Director of Photography and his subjects. The camera viewpoint is always from the child’s perspective. Children are shot at eye level and teachers are shot looking up from the child’s viewpoint. Although there is plenty of expertise in the film there are no “outside experts” interviewed. Everyone interviewed is also seen working directly with the children. By shooting from the children’s perspective and never leaving the world these kids know the viewer is provided an immersive experience into their world.
“AM I BROKEN?” completed principal photography in June 2010. Post-production is approximately 50% complete and we are targeting to have a completed rough-cut ready by February 2012. The piece is being edited at Beyond Home Productions in Seattle, WA
