PORTRAIT OF
A SINGLE MOM
By: LaKendria Kenner
A five-minute documentary
about the misconceptions of impoverished women.
Synopsis
I will document
the struggle of a single mom; and show you that a person in poverty can have
goals and dreams, but reaching those needs can be difficult when you are born
into poverty.
I want to
humanize the individuals that society sees as “ lazy and in need of a job”.
The main
character is Lakendra Sanders, a student living in poverty and a mother of two
young children. She faces the struggle
of Passing difficult courses, and balancing family life at the same time. We
will follow how she fell into a state of poverty, and when we discover that she
was born into it we will take a closer look at why it’s taking so long to get
out of poverty, and why some people don’t ever get out. She also has to make it
out of poverty one day. Which she hopes to do by attending school.
Premise
The emotional
impact is how far this woman has come, and how close she is to getting out of
poverty just because she has the help that some say we don't need.
Women in
poverty aren't lazy, or stupid and some of us will always be in poverty despite
that, due to living wage and circumstance. It takes a special kind of person
and true determination to overcome these circumstances; not to mention TIME
that frankly some don't have so they are trapped in dead end jobs, food stamps,
low income housing, and a label that is haunting FOREVER in some cases. Its
more societies fault than that individual in poverty. That's the premise.
In life I
believe that advantages are more given than earned. Since minorities came here
there has been an unequal distribution of wealth that we can never recover
from. Some do some are strong enough, but all aren’t.
Story
My film will
show this in action by illustrating how a young woman in poverty remained in
poverty and why she has had difficulty getting out; and is still struggling to
work her way out.
My Central
character is a female, mother, and an undergrad student here at SIU.
My character
wants to get her third degree and begin a career and move her family out of
subsidized housing.
The conflict in
my film is the struggle with choosing between better in the future for the long
term by making sacrifices NOW. Or better for the moment with a future that may
not be clear.
I want my films
structure to be determined by the progression in my character’s life, and the
nonstop obstacles and sacrifices she has made; As Seen through her eyes.
Structure of the film is going to be using b-roll as well as Voice Over from the
interview. I will also be using photo’s to illustrate the past tense for the
viewer. The b-roll combined with the voice-overs will also include The subjects
daily life and school. There is also an interview using natural sound.
Conclusion
I want my
audience to have more insight into a way of life they may have a false
perception of, or just don't understand.
And to realize
that getting out of poverty is not as simple as getting a job or going to
school or not having kids you can't afford. It will take more than the
impoverished people and scraps from the table of the government to end poverty.
