July 03, 2012

Alumnus releases new documentary about at-risk youth

Award-winning filmmaker Brian Lindstrom BA ’84 premiered his newest documentary, Writing Myself, in Portland in June.

Award-winning filmmaker Brian Lindstrom BA ’84 premiered his newest documentary, Writing Myself, in Portland in June. The communication major has produced many short and feature-length documentaries, focusing primarily on addiction, mental disability, and at-risk youth.

Writing Myself chronicles a group of students at Portland’s Alliance School, a nontraditional high school, who created original theatrical works with help from professional writing coaches and actors. Drawing from personal experience, each student wrote, cast, and directed a play over the course of two weeks during a program with PlayWrite, Inc.

“I’m fascinated with people who transcend human frailty and other setbacks to discover their truer, better selves, accessing strength and wisdom previously unknown to them,” says Lindstrom of his own work. “My films attempt to answer the question, ‘How does a person grow?’”

Lindstrom has taught at the Northwest Film Center and has lectured at the College on occasion. His much-anticipated film Alien Boy: the Death and Life of James Chasse is currently in editing for release.

Learn more about Writing Myself, or visit Brian Lindstrom’s official website.

 

Zibby Pillote ’14 contributed to this story.