Fayetteville leaders hope movie sways teens to make the right choices
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- The City of Fayetteville is fighting back against crime in an unusual way.
It previewed a movie Tuesday about a young man who made "all the wrong choices" in life. It wasn't the typical Hollywood premier, but a real look at coming of age.
The movie is called "Decision Points," and it premiered at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre Tuesday evening to a select audience.
It is a very intense and graphic 20 minute movie about gangs, choices, gun violence. The actors are real life local judges, police, EMTs, and students.
"I never really knew how much gun violence really happened -- house parties and stuff," said actress Rosebud Harrison.
Malcolm Evans is one of the stars. He plays a high school student who makes bad decisions, hangs with the wrong people, and ends up shooting his own sister. The actor say it was life changing.
"A lot of thinking about situations that I was being put in, putting myself in that moment " said Evans. "If I had just killed my sister, because I do have a sister, the strain I would put my own mother through, all my friends, and let them down."
"We are really hoping to reach kids and show them exactly how serious this thing involving gun violence is," said Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock.
Gun related violence is on the increase in Fayetteville and across the country. Police say combating that violence means getting their message to children before they get into trouble.
"We can talk and talk, but when you show folks, especially young people, the carnage that occurs from kids carrying guns and using guns to settle differences," said Medlock.
That is the power behind the message of the movie. It's a message that adults and students hope audiences of all ages get.
"It was very intense. I liked it because it's also reaching out to young kids," said actor Luke Blevins. "It wasn't just the high schoolers who've made the decision. The young kids, if you can teach them to get out of gangs and what it all involves, that can change the world."
The movie won't be released to the public until next fall.
It will be shown first to school students as part of new curriculum studies next year then to parents and the community.
