THE GARDNER DOCUMENTARY GROUP

27- minute video documentaries (2 part series).
Distributed by Films for the Humanities

CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT explores the world of Hollywood, California where the American dream turns upside down into a nightmare. Teenagers arrive hoping to be discovered as models, rock or film stars. What they discover is another story. Without skills, they are unable to find work and resort to panhandling and prostitution. Several teenagers talk about their regrets and warn others of their age that Hollywood is not the glamourous place they have been led to believe. Behind the bright lights is a shabby drug scene populated by drug pushers and pimps waiting to prey on vulnerable youth.

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STARTING OVER follows four young people who are determined to change their lives. Weary of life on the street, they seek shelter and find that they must fight a tough battle to turn their lives around. Residents and counselors at homeless shelters paint a picture of life in the shelter- the rules they enforce and the assistance they provide. Some with jail records, others with drug habits talk about their struggle to get off the streets. Taped in Florida, New York, and California, these programs show the underbelly of the American dream. Musical score for both programs is by the celebrated singer/composer Richard Marx who dedicated his song "Children of the Night" to the vulnerable youth who roam these mean streets.

Producer / Director: Janet Gardner
Executive Producer: E. Ty Gardner
Directors of Photography: Len McClure and Jim Nickless
Produced for Cambridge Educational Video

Awards
• Winner of Telly Award, 1995
• Selected for the Best Science Films and Videos of 1996 in Science Books & Films, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Reviews
Part of the Running Away, Dropping Out series, these videos (Children of the Night and Starting Over) are compelling for both teens and the adults who seek to provide alternatives to running away.
— Library Journal, September 15, 1995

From California to New York to Florida, life-worn, world-weary faces tell stories about the unfulfilled expectations that characterise the runaway experience, and about their race for mere survivial. Teachers and others working with young people will want to preview the videos before sharing them in order to prepare for the discussion they will provoke... Public libraries and organizations providing resources for youth services will want to add these haunting portraits of young people in peril to their collections.
— From Barb White, Akron-Summit County Public Library, Ohio, School Library Journal, Sept. 1994

This is a valuable video for adolescents to watch. Firsthand interviews with homeless teens convey the dangers of prostitution and drug addiction, telling graphically of the adults who prey on them and how street life itself is addictive and difficult to escape once it becomes a way of life. Interviews with adults show these children there are alternatives, and stress that adolscents thinking of running away should make the streets their last choice; homelessness won't make problems go away, it merely creates new and possibly more life-threatening ones.
This is a recommended program for middle and high schools and for public libraries. This video could possibly make a difference to a child who is thinking about running away, and convince that child to seek help elsewhere.

— From the Video Rating Guide for Libraries, Vol. 6. No. 2.

31 minutes
Distributed by Films for the Humanities

Involving representatives from all member nations, the United Nations is much more than "peacekeeper" for all the world. Students become involved with the organizaton, structure and purpose of each function of the UN. Informative and up-to-date, this introductory program covers most aspects of the United Nations, from its history and status as an international zone in the center of New York City to more traditonal explanations of the political divisions between developed and developing worlds. People closely involved with the UN explain the inner workings of this powerful organization, such as tensions in the UN Security Council and the balance of power between nations. The film also stresses the UN's role in the Gulf War, shows the organization at a turning point, and explains how the UN has changed as a result of the end of the cold war. The functions of specialized agencies, such as UNICEF, are covered, illustrating the many ways the UN makes an impact on today's political and global environments. Raising tough but interesting dilemmas, this extraordinary program is sure to provoke thought and discussion.

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Executive Producer: E. Ty Gardner
Producer / Director: Janet Gardner
Director of Photography: Robert Richmond
Produced for Cambridge Educational Video

Awards
• North Jersey Press Club award for best documentary