A must-see documentary
I recently attended the Cleveland International Film Festival and a documentary really stuck with me. " Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine " is a well-done documentary chronicling the life of Shepard, whom the world met after his 1998 beating and murder when he was a gay 21-year-old college student. Director Michele Josue said the purpose of the film was to share his story and his humanity and to show that Matt wasn't perfect and he wasn't a martyr. What the movie does right is trying to show Shepard as a flawed young man, instead of a gay rights icon. Matt struggled with his identity, but also his place in the world. His teachers and mentors interviewed in the documentary echo this struggle. Everyone struggles with their identity and place in the world. Having Josue focus on this and the backstory of Matt's life really made the film better. If you get a chance to see the documentary, go! I'm hoping to bring a screening to Toledo. Watch my Twitter