Today I Found Out

Runtime: 10 minutes
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Synopsis

A 14-year old girl tries to make sense of the world around her when she learns her best friend is pregnant.

Today I Found Out deals with choosing abstinence, peer pressure, and self-awareness.

Credits

Today I Found Out was adapted from an essay written by 14-year old Samantha Hernandez. The film was directed by Griffin Dunne (Practical Magic) and shot by William Rexer (Lisa Picard is Famous) on the Texas/Mexico border town of Laredo. Music by Grupo Fantasma of Laredo, Texas.

Click here for the full cast and crew.

Honors

2001 South Texas Contest Winner, Laredo, TX
Selected as a Finalist in the USA Film Festival/Dallas Short Film and Video Competition
Aired on Showtime the weekend of February 14, 2003 and aired on numerous Community Access Stations across the US
Screened at the Garden State Film Festival, the Taos Talking Picture Teen Media Conference, Cine Las Americas Film Festival, New Latino Filmmakers Series and the Teen Outreach Pregnancy Prevention Conference in Manhattan
Used in various school districts across the US

The story behind the story

Today I Found Out was Scenarios USA's first documentary-style production. The film was adapted from a personal essay by 14-year old Samantha Hernandez about living in Laredo, a U.S. border town with a high rate of teen pregnancy. In her essay she explores her thoughts about her choices, her future and what others expect of her.

Director Griffin Dunne shot the film in a documentary-style format without the use of a formal script. He wanted to capture the reality of Samantha's world on film and then craft the story in the editing room. Samantha was cast as the narrator and main actress of her story.

In preparation for the film shoot, Griffin met with a group of teenage mothers in Samantha's hometown. The girls shared private stories of how they got pregnant and what their lives are like as mothers. They wanted to let Griffin and Samantha know that they're no different from other teenagers and that they have dreams and aspirations just as all other youth do. All of the girls were still in high school. Meeting with the teen mothers reinforced the idea that, while it is important to encourage teens to avoiding getting pregnant and it is also important to not condemn those who do get pregnant. Both Griffin and Samantha felt the film should not discriminate against girls who choose to have a baby. Moved by the courage of the teen mothers, Griffin included the teenage mothers and their stories in the film.

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