School Screening of Viral Video "Love is All You Need?" Stimulates Heated Debate in Canada
Indie Production Company produced film to focus greater attention on nationwide problem of teen suicide due to bullying, and has already received reports from teens of changed behavior and improved lives.
Burbank, CA, June 12, 2013 --(PR.com)-- A 13-year-old boy in Winnipeg, Canada blacked out while viewing an anti-bullying short film entitled “Love is All You Need?” during health class.
According to CBC News, the graphic video angered the child’s father who labeled the video “inappropriate, gratuitously violent and horrific.”
The 19 minute short film “Love Is All You Need?” depicts a world where homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuals are scorned for whom they love. In the film, an adolescent girl named Ashley is beaten and bullied for having a crush on a boy at school, which leads to the young girl taking her own life.
Louis Riel School Division superintendent Duane Brothers reported that the school’s health teacher did not screen the video prior to showing it to students. The teacher has since apologized, and has been put on temporary leave. However, the superintendent also emphasized that “We know we have issues with bullying, we know we have issues with racism and homophobia, and this is huge stuff. We want our teachers to wade into this and help our young people, in age-appropriate ways, to become better citizens.”
Kim Rocco Shields, Creator and Director of the film said that the version the Winnipeg students saw was aimed at adults and maybe older teenagers, not a young audience. Currently, Shields and her production company, WingSpan Pictures, are working with educators on an alternative ending that can be shown in classrooms, in which the main character lives. The film has been hailed as an “educators dream” due to its short length and unique role reversal concept that allows students to empathize with the main characters.
WingSpan Pictures produced the film in response to the nation’s disparaging bullying trend that lead to the suicides of several LGBT young men and women.
"Teen bullying and teen suicide based on someone's sexual orientation is ridiculous - and this film turns the tables on modern society. What if the shoe was on the other foot?” says Director, K.Rocco Shields.
Since going viral approximately one month ago, “Love is All You Need?” has received worldwide praise from regions including Korea, Australia, France, Spain, and Brazil in addition to the United States and Canada.
Recently, a young teen that was bullied at school reached out to the film’s director and told her that she shared the film with the school’s bullies and that after watching the film, the bullies stopped bullying her.
According to CBC News, the graphic video angered the child’s father who labeled the video “inappropriate, gratuitously violent and horrific.”
The 19 minute short film “Love Is All You Need?” depicts a world where homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuals are scorned for whom they love. In the film, an adolescent girl named Ashley is beaten and bullied for having a crush on a boy at school, which leads to the young girl taking her own life.
Louis Riel School Division superintendent Duane Brothers reported that the school’s health teacher did not screen the video prior to showing it to students. The teacher has since apologized, and has been put on temporary leave. However, the superintendent also emphasized that “We know we have issues with bullying, we know we have issues with racism and homophobia, and this is huge stuff. We want our teachers to wade into this and help our young people, in age-appropriate ways, to become better citizens.”
Kim Rocco Shields, Creator and Director of the film said that the version the Winnipeg students saw was aimed at adults and maybe older teenagers, not a young audience. Currently, Shields and her production company, WingSpan Pictures, are working with educators on an alternative ending that can be shown in classrooms, in which the main character lives. The film has been hailed as an “educators dream” due to its short length and unique role reversal concept that allows students to empathize with the main characters.
WingSpan Pictures produced the film in response to the nation’s disparaging bullying trend that lead to the suicides of several LGBT young men and women.
"Teen bullying and teen suicide based on someone's sexual orientation is ridiculous - and this film turns the tables on modern society. What if the shoe was on the other foot?” says Director, K.Rocco Shields.
Since going viral approximately one month ago, “Love is All You Need?” has received worldwide praise from regions including Korea, Australia, France, Spain, and Brazil in addition to the United States and Canada.
Recently, a young teen that was bullied at school reached out to the film’s director and told her that she shared the film with the school’s bullies and that after watching the film, the bullies stopped bullying her.
Contact
WingSpan Pictures
Rachel Diana
(818) 861-7771
wingspanpictures.com
Rachel Diana
(818) 861-7771
wingspanpictures.com
Contact
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