"Living in Baltimore was one of the reasons I wanted to make this film," said co-director Justin Szlasa of 759: Boy Scouts of Harlem, his new film.
"I was really upset about what I saw in large parts of Baltimore in terms of lack of opportunity and terrible crime. Ultimately, in order to really affect change, a good approach is through grass roots community organizations."
In their film, Szlasa and co-director Jake Boritt - both Hopkins alums - explore the workings of an inner-city Boy Scout troop with special attention given to Keith Dozier, an eleven year old "tenderfoot," or new Scout. The film is an endearing look at Scouting and the influence it can have on the lives of boys and young men.
It begins with iconic shots of Harlem: a gospel choir, a homeless man on a street corner, a group of girls playing jump-rope. In the background, a gospel soloist sings a free-form melody.
The directors had originally begun the movie with news clips from a shooting that took place in Harlem at the time of the movie's production. The victims of the shooting were eight young men at the same ages of the boys in the film.
This footage was scrapped because it "was dishonest and forced a stereotype" on people who were not engaged with that lifestyle, Boritt said.
As it is, the gospel music makes the introduction seem oddly foreboding and does not convey the tone of the rest of the film.
The main cast of the film is Troop 759 and its leaders. The scouts are comprised of Devon, the oldest, KC and Mani, both 14, and Keith.
They are led by Scoutmaster Sowah, an elderly man originally from Ghana, and Assistant Scoutmaster Ms. Anne, Keith's grandmother. With focus on Keith, the trials and adventures of Boy Scouting at Camp Keowa are shown.
Their first obstacle is the swimming test, which Keith fails. Devon and Mani are both classified as beginners, while KC passes. This scene is filled with many charmingly genuine images of life as a pre-teen boy. Mani says he failed his test because he choked on his retainer.
While at camp, the boys try target shooting, basket weaving, rock climbing and many other activities. At times these scenes of camp life feel cluttered and unplanned.
The polar bear swim is shown without any explanation of what this bizarre ritual entails. While this experience of an early morning frigid swim is familiar to any former Scout, others are left confused.
The point of these scenes, though, is to introduce outsiders to these rituals, and to give former Scouts moments of nostalgia.
The film asks people to reconsider their notions of Scouting. While the directors both note that they do not mean to be advertising Boy Scouts, it is clear that they focus on people who are, as Szlasa said, "objectively cool."
As Boritt has noted, most people hold associations with the Boy Scouts of "mostly very white bread people, suburban and small-town, involving Rockwell. They picture a boy with long socks, shorts, and his cap."
While they don't mean to necessarily dispel these associations, they do mean to expand them by showing that, as camp counselor Andy Cabrera says, "you come here and it changes everything, it blows your mind."
For former Scouts, like director Szlasa, seeing the boys go through these experiences provides a point of commonality. All Scouts can see a part of themselves in these shared experiences of adolescence and maturation. For those outside this culture, it is a look at what these experiences mean.
Some of the most valuable moments of the movie, however, have little to do with the actual camp itself. The audience responded most strongly to moments involving two young Serbian women, Anna and Maria, working in the kitchens.
These women with their friendly smiles and welcoming words have clearly enchanted the campers. Anna and Maria say that some of the campers "made hearts from food for us" and also "with beans they made the words 'I love you' - It's nice."
The point is driven home when KC says, somewhat uncomfortably, "Both are Russian, both are hot." This is a moment that is familiar not only to Scouts, but for anyone who has ever been or ever known a pre-teen boy.
In terms of social commentary, most of the greatest moments again occur outside of the context of the camp. In one scene, Keith's aunts, many of whom are involved with Scouting, remark on the lack of male figures in the lives of these young men.
The women praise Mr. Sowah for "trying to nurture a lot of these boys who don't have a father at home." This is a theme that repeats itself throughout the film.
It is clear that the filmmakers and the people involved with Scouting see the Scouts as a source of positive male role models for young men. At the same time, they recognize that these substitute role models become necessary because the boys' fathers are often not present in their lives.
The greatest success of 759: Boy Scouts of Harlem is its subtlety. The filmmakers have no objection to representing an institution that is innocent and friendly as just that.
They make no efforts to dramatize the issues, and because of this they may have loss some commercial appeal. The film has had trouble getting coverage or air time, though it will be aired on PBS in May 2010. Until then, the trailer is available at www.harlemscouts.com.
Both filmmakers spoke fondly of their experiences at Hopkins. Boritt was a Writing Seminars major, and Szala was an International Relations major. Both praise the aid given to them by Writing Seminars Professor Tristan Davies, as well as the resources made available by the Hopkins professional and alumni networks.
Boritt comments that at Hopkins, "they don't coddle the undergrads and you really have to do stuff to succeed there, but it benefits you to go through that."
Together, these directors have created a highly successful and unpretentious film that is a credit to their skills.
