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Written by Linda May Grobman, ACSW, LSW
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Film review of Carissa.
Carissa, a film by David Sauvage. 23 minutes plus special features. DVD: $20 ($90 with education license). http://www.carissaproject.com .
Filmmaker David Sauvage recently sent me a copy of his short documentary film, Carissa. The 23-minute film captures the real-life story of Carissa Phelps, who at age 12, was “dropped off” at Fresno County Juvenile Hall by her mother, eventually ending up on the streets of Fresno.
The film follows Carissa and shows her raw emotion as she revisits sites from her troubled past, such as “Motel Drive” and the very motel room where her pimp raped her. Interviews with Carissa herself, as well as with her mother, her father, a counselor, a former teacher, and a prostitute, allow the viewer to see the influence each of these people had on Carissa. Some of the best material on the DVD is contained in the “special features,” which include deleted scenes, interviews with her childhood friends, the reading of a letter from Carissa’s former pimp (from his jail cell), and the director’s commentary.
I was completely engrossed in Carissa’s story of family dysfunction, child prostitution, rape, and survival through the help of a caring counselor and supportive teacher. Carissa has completed her MBA and law degrees now, and she is an avid advocate for children, going back to Fresno County Juvenile Hall and other places to tell her story to young people and others. Yet the vulnerable child—still not too far from the surface—comes through in her telling of her story.
This award-winning film, which Sauvage developed as a student project, was executive produced by Davis Guggenheim, director of An Inconvenient Truth. I recommend this film highly for all social work students and practitioners, especially those who are interested in working with troubled teenagers, families, sexually exploited young people, and those in juvenile corrections. The film is moving, powerful, and insightful.
See http://www.carissaproject.com/ for more information about this film project.
Reviewed by Linda May Grobman, ACSW, LSW, publisher/editor of The New Social Worker.Carissa, a film by David Sauvage. 23 minutes plus special features. DVD: $20 ($90 with education license). http://www.carissaproject.com.
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