On Monday, November 24th, Siena, Monica and I had an interview with a woman named Lauren Mucciolo. Lauren is the producer of a documentary called “Poor Kids”, along with her colleague Jezza Neumann. The movie follows the lives of three kids, Brittany, Kaylie, and Jonny, all of whom struggle with staying above the poverty line. Neumann and Mucciolo followed these kids for about a year, learning about their lifestyles and how they cope with their financial status.
The idea of the documentary came from the British version of “Poor Kids”, which Jezza also worked on. The movie was a coproduction between BBC in Britain and Frontline/PBS here. Jezza and Lauren traveled all over the country and worked with local organizations there who worked and helped children in poverty. In the Mid West we worked with the River Bank Food Bank who helped find children who fit the socioeconomic criteria and could also express themselves on camera. Jezza and Lauren, who were the only filming crew, followed the children for almost a year, experiencing their life style first hand. When asked about the personal connections between her and the kids, she talked about how the relationship building process was so important.
“There had to be a very personal connection and we had to build relationships so they felt safe with us since they were inviting us into their homes. I’m still in touch with them. We had a very good connection.”
A huge chunk of our conversation was about the things people don’t know about poverty. Lauren talked about what the most astonishing thing she learned was.
“It was so great that after the film came out we had so many people writing in saying I want to help so and so and they actually donated. It was so great but we noticed that the money helped for immediate things and a year later they were still at the same place. When you come from poverty it’s really really really hard to break the cycle. You can just get sucked back in and it’s so depressing. When you get money you solve your immediate issues so you’re getting yourself out of debt but your not taking any steps forward. It’s so hard to keep the momentum going.”
Since the film has been made, the Willis family has been doing very well. They got out of the homeless shelter and moved to Florida, which was their dream. Brittany’s family has not changed much besides the new baby, and they continue to have a very strong family unit. Kaylie has had the biggest continuation of instability, having moved several times since the film aired.
The film “Poor Kids” had a huge impact on me and my group members. After we watched it we were astounded by how much we didn’t know. When thinking and researching about poverty It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers and statistics but this film really opens your eyes to the real people that are going through this.
By the end of our interview, I had learned so much. I feel that I have a much better understanding of the true struggles of poverty and how support systems can make or break you. Lauren is a lovely person and her film, “Poor Kids”, is a must watch.
