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           Organization Helps Troubled Teens Heal Through Film Making

   by Deyane Moses

   Writing a song, painting a picture, or acting on stage is not only fun
   but can also be therapeutic for a person who is coping with a painful
   past.  In southern Los Angeles, a non-profit organization is helping
   troubled teens heal through filmmaking.

   Teenagers running down the street and then violently attack a person -
   this is a scene from student filmmaker Fernando Lopez's first movie,
   and it's something he has seen before.

   "For me filmmaking is the perfect outlet for me to release all my
   emotions, whether it's in writing, acting, or directing. And I get to
   share a little bit of myself into it," said Lopez.

   Lopez, who is 17, starred in and directed a film called Our First
   Movie. It is a tale of two aspiring filmmakers who clash over turf and
   stolen camera equipment.

   "By the end of the day we end up seeing how we're not so different
   after all. We both have a story to tell," said Lopez.

   Lopez's story is partly inspired by his mother's time in jail, which
   left him withdrawn and defensive, like his co-star in the movie.

   But two years ago, he joined Southern California Crossroads, a
   non-profit organization that helps youth in violent communities gain
   skills and find career paths. Filmmaking is one of its many programs.

   The students use their personal stories to create fictional movies
   addressing real-life scenarios and helping them cope with the past.

   "It's an eye opening experience because we get to see a side of each
   other that we never really have. Because the topics we deal with are
   very personal. You see how that, like, plays into our own lives and how
   we relate to it," said Lopez.

   Drama therapist Mimi Savage says the arts are therapeutic, but added
   that revisiting past emotions can be dangerous without professional
   guidance.

   "For instance, when working with youth or working with people with
   mental illness, [we have to consider] where they are, where they are
   developmentally, for instance. So that we don't re-traumatize them or
   so what they want to express doesn't put them back into that place of
   pain or trauma," said Savage.

   Past student films have tackled bullying, gangs, domestic violence,
   suicide, homelessness, and friendship. Southern California Crossroads
   Executive Director Paul Carrillo said it's a program teens from his old
   neighborhood need.

   "I can name a few dozen individuals who I grew up with and if there was
   a program like this they probably wouldn't be dead or in jail right
   now," said Carrillo.

   The films made by Lopez and his classmates are shown at public schools
   throughout south L.A. as a way to help the teens heal, and to bring
   healing to the larger community.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/organization-helps-troubled-teens-hea
   l-through-filmmaking/2414238.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/organization-helps-troubled-teens-heal-through-filmmaking/2414238.html