Harris County Juvenile Probation Department

PRESS

The First Residency

In Summer 2022, Dan created a film with teenagers at the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department. The teens conceptualized, wrote, acted and produced an autobiographical film entitled “Closer to the Sun” which was inspired by Tupac Shakur’s “The Rose that Grew from Concrete”. St. Philip Presbyterian Church’s Foundation provided a substantial grant for this filmmaking project along with Texas Commission on the Arts. Pastor John Wurster spoke to the congregation about the impact of this residency.

Dan Gordon gave a presentation about this filmmaking residency and screened the film at St. Philip Presbyterian Church on October 2nd, 2022.

For future film screenings and workshops, please contact dan@danjgordon.com

Production stills from “Closer to the Sun”

The Second Residency (Feb-May 2023)

Over the course of 7 weeks, the students wrote a fictional narrative film entitled “Border Life” based on their personal family experiences crossing the border from Mexico into the US. In the film, a young man mentally struggles with being separated from his family by immigration officers 15 years prior. While working at a taqueria in Texas, he is offered the opportunity to become a border agent for a better salary. Feeling conflicted in his new role as a border agent, he makes a personal discovery that uncovers the most important moment of his past.

The film depicts the dire struggles of crossing the border and the incredible family sacrifices that are made.

A few personal accounts from the teenagers of the Juvenile Justice Filmmaking Residency in Spring 2023

● One student refused to let experiencing a medical emergency from being a victim of gun violence prevent them from engaging in the filmmaking curriculum and connecting with fellow students. Three days after the incident, the student was working with peers, holding a video camera, and crafting each angle for the film.

● One student went from never engaging in any of the probation center’s supplemental classes to fostering connections and finding interest behind-the-scenes as a camera operator. The staff leadership of the center commented that this is the first time this student has shown interest in anything.

● One student who was just released from the downtown detention center and just arrived at the probation center was verbally aggressive in the filmmaking class the first day. Through the program, they transformed and were able to interact and provide productive dialogue. Their emotional state went from aggressive to receptive.

At the conclusion of the residency, our non-profit donated the book "The Writer's Journey" by Christophe Vogler to the probation center so the teenagers continue screenwriting post-residency. A start to a film studies library.