AllMovie

The daily lives of three American teens are chronicled in this documentary. Each subject was each given a Hi-8 camera, brief instructions, and one year to record their daily lives. Co-producer and editor Peter Kinoy took the resulting footage and used it to create this examination of modern youth. The three subjects are Frank Cardon, an African-American who was raised in the violent streets of North Philadelphia. Hatred and bitterness are as natural to him as breathing. On film he talks about the night his friend shot another youngster and how that changed his life. Adwana and her sister Gloria came from an Anglo blue collar home. Life at home became so abusive they ran away to live on the harsh streets of L.A. Edwin La Traun Parker was a high-school senior living in Harlem when he began filming his video journal, which chronicles his quest for his estranged dad. The father currently lives in south Carolina. Edwin is desperate to escape the mean Harlem streets so he goes to college. When he discovers his father he encounters great surprises. One benefit of the film is that it's making positively changed the lives of two subjects.