DALLAS/FORT WORTH – From James Dean’s portrayal of a troubled teen looking for love in Rebel Without a Cause to Ellen Paige’s sweet depiction of a pregnant teen in Juno, teen love has long been examined on the silver screen. But what is teenage dating really like today? KERA takes viewers inside the world of five teenage girls from North Texas as they navigate the joys and sorrows of their romantic relationships over the course of one year.
Boyfriends debuts at 9:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 28 on KERA-TV and rebroadcasts at 10:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 18, 2009. The young women featured in the documentary openly discuss their hopes and fears, choices of sex or abstinence, dependence and independence and their dreams for the future. The girls are from different economic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and are featured with their boyfriends, parents, children and friends.
"Spending so much time with the girls, I found them to be very honest and surprisingly candid," says Sujata Dand, director/producer of the project. "There is so much that happens in their young lives. I hope their stories highlight the complexities of being a teenager and resonate with a teen audience."
The documentary and profiles of each of the young women featured in the program are posted on the Boyfriends companion Web site at BoyfriendsWeb.com. The site also includes resources developed by Dr. Susan Sugerman, president and co-founder of Girls to Women Health and Wellness: a discussion guide to the documentary for parents and facilitators; a guide for parents on how to talk to their children about healthy relationships; and a guide for teens about positive and negative relationships.
“Young people today face alarming pressure to form and maintain romantic relationships at a time when they are just beginning to develop confidence in their social and intellectual skills,” says Dr. Sugerman. “When these relationships run their course, the repercussions can be devastating.”
Experts in the areas of teen pregnancy, self abuse and poverty are among those offering guidance to the Boyfriends project by contributing insight and opinion on ways to help young women form and maintain healthy relationships.
They include:
Dr. Susan Sugerman is president and co-founder of Girls to Women Health and Wellness, a multidisciplinary medical practice dedicated to the physical and emotional needs of girls and young women ages 10-25. She has many years of experience in adolescent medicine, both as a Board Certified pediatrician and as former staff physician in college health at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. http://www.gtw-health.com/.
Allison Whitehead is executive director and founder of alley’s house, a Dallas-based organization created to break the generational, economic and social impact of teenage pregnancy in the community and to empower teen mothers and their children to achieve independence through support services, education and mentoring. http://www.alleyshouse.org/.
Karen Conterio is CEO and founder of Self Abuse Finally Ends (S.A.F.E. Alternatives). S.A.F.E is the first outpatient support group for those who engage in repetitive self-harm behavior. Ms. Conterio is based in Chicago. http://www.selfinjury.com/.
Lori Vann is a licensed professional counselor supervisor with experience in a variety of settings from inpatient psychiatric hospitals to outpatient clinics, private practice and the non-profit sector. She is in the process of writing a book on self-mutilation and has started a self-injury support group for teenagers. Lori Vann is based in Dallas. http://lorivann.com/index.html.
Dr. Luis Zayas is a licensed psychologist and social worker with 25 years clinical experience working with children, adolescents, adults and families in community mental health, psychiatric clinics, pediatric rehabilitation and community-based primary care medicine. He has been honored for his outstanding research and clinical practice with Hispanics and is currently on sabbatical to do special research on Latinas. Dr. Zayas is on the faculty of Washington University in St. Louis. http://gwbweb.wustl.edu/Faculty/Stories/Pages/LuisHZayas.aspx
Norma Westurn is executive director of Centro de Mi Salud, a mental health care facility for the Hispanic/Latino Community that strives to assist and empower clients to help themselves by providing high quality mental healthcare based on love, understanding and professional knowledge. Ms. Westurn is based in Dallas. http://www.centromisalud.com/
Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D. is the founder of aha! Process, Inc., an organization dedicated to creating a positive impact on the education and lives of individuals in poverty. Since the mid-1990s she has been speaking to audiences around the world about the effects of poverty on students, families and communities and how to better understand and support people from all economic backgrounds. Dr. Payne’s practice is based in Dallas. http://www.ahaprocess.com/.
Boyfriends was made possible, in part, by the Harold Simmons Foundation and other generous donors from our community.
ABOUT THE PRODUCERS
The Boyfriends production team includes producer/director Sujata Dand, producer/editor Linda Stogner, executive producer Rick Thompson and executive in charge Sylvia Komatsu. Other members of the team include Stewart Mayer, director of photography, April Kinser, graphic artist, Tom Pribyl, animation, and M.B. Boehm, on-line editor. The original signature musical score was composed and produced by Mack Price and Big Brain Music, LLC.
ABOUT KERA
KERA is a not-for-profit public media organization that serves the people of North Texas. The station broadcasts to the fourth-largest population area in the United States. KERA produces original multimedia content, carries the best in national and international public television and radio programs, and provides online resources at kera.org. The station’s extensive coverage of the arts can be found at artandseek.org. KERA-TV broadcasts on Channel 13.1. KERA WORLD broadcasts on 13.2. KERA-FM broadcasts on 90.1 in Dallas/Fort Worth/Denton, 88.3 in Wichita Falls, 100.1 in Tyler and 99.3 in Sherman. In November of 2009, KERA’s new music station at 91.7 FM will join the airwaves.