THE HOMESTRETCHna documentary film by Anne de Mare & Kirsten Kellynhttp://www.homestretchdoc.comnnThe Homestretch follows three homeless tee...
THE HOMESTRETCHna documentary film by Anne de Mare & Kirsten Kellynhttp://www.homestretchdoc.comnnThe Homestretch follows three homeless teens as they fight to stay in school, graduate, and build a future. Each of these smart, ambitious teenagers - Roque, Kasey and Anthony - will surprise, inspire, and challenge audiences to rethink stereotypes of homelessness as they work to complete their education while facing the trauma of being alone and abandoned at an early age. Through haunting images, intimate scenes, and first-person narratives, these teens take us on their journeys of struggle and triumph. As their stories unfold, the film connects us deeply with larger issues of juvenile justice, immigration, foster care, and LGBTQ rights.nnWith unprecedented access into the Chicago Public Schools, The Night Ministry’s “Crib" emergency youth shelter and Teen Living Programs’ Belfort House, The Homestretch follows these kids as they move through the milestones of high school while navigating a landscape of couch hopping, emergency shelters, transitional homes, street families and a school system on the front lines of this crisis. The film examines the struggles these youth face in obtaining a high school level education, and then follows them beyond graduation to focus on the crucial transition when the structure of school vanishes and homeless youth struggle to find the support and community they need to survive and be independent. A powerful, original perspective on what it means to be young, homeless and building a future in America today.nnfor more information see www.homestretchdoc.comnThe Homestretch is a co-production of Spargel Productions, Kartemquin Educational Films and Independent Television Service [ITVS], with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Less
