The Hearts That Never Heal Documentary Film

 

THTNH is a documentary that follows the lives of families who have lost their children to child protective services. We also document the organizations that fight alongside the families to regain custody of their children.

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In 2021, Tiffany Fenton (YerrrMedia, LLC) along with Carter "Roc" Mangan Jr. (Off The Rock, LLC) embarked on the journey of producing a documentary about Black families who lost custody of their children to Child Protective Services. We follow several families, specifically Black women in several states. These parents express their pain, struggle, and trauma that will forever change the course of their lives. During this journey, we capture each family’s unique experience which leads them on the fight of their lives to reunite with their children and spread awareness of the abuse they endure. Viewers will get an in-depth glimpse of those struggles and begin to see the flaws of the legal system that takes them down what feels like a spiraling rabbit hole. On the other end of this complex issue, we interview the organizations that advocate for the families while also helping them to navigate mentally and emotionally in order to cope with the reality of their situation.

 

The multifaceted nature of these conversations segue into how the history of slavery intersects with capitalism, and how it motivates the system to commit crimes against humanity for profit. Out of a population of 13.71% of non-Hispanic black children, 22.75% are in foster care. The disproportionality of race in the child welfare system is a critical demonstration of its misconduct when we consider facts that show how low income and African American families children are placed into foster care homes at a higher rate, with multiple placements, and are less likely to be reunited when compared to other races. " (read article at: www.repnewarkdaily.com)

 

Mission

 

This project is the core of my company's mission, and as a single black mother who relates deeply to the stories of these women, it speaks to why representation in the media is of importance. Giving voice to the voiceless. Telling the difficult stories that may spark change in a powerful system that preys on families and communities who may have few resources. The stories of these families have a need to be documented in order to raise awareness of a flawed system and evoke change. My production company will conduct interviews with affected families, community organizations, lawyers, judges, past and current social workers, and political figures about Child Protective Services and Permanency. This involves reviewing case studies, statistics, and state records to report on the true effectiveness of the industry as a whole.

 

We are currently in production with our own financing and are working alongside community organizations and professionals who have committed their lives to advocate for family and children’s rights. Already garnering the support of powerful figures, we have put together a team of humanities advisors and legal experts, and now we are in need of public support.

 

Please help us in any way you can. Help us document the lives of these families and organizations working tirelessly to bring change to our judicial system. It is pivotal that these stories are told.

Thank you.

 

Risks and Challenges

 

1) One of our biggest concerns is COVID-19.

 

2) Traveling (multiple locations). The families we are filming are spread apart in multiple states. We plan to continue filming in North Carolina, and then next Ohio. This ties into our overall budget concerns when considering the cost of travel, hotel, renting vehicles to drive, food.

 

3) Cost of production. We need to purchase equipment and software to help us complete the project that is why we are seeking financial assistance through GoFundMe. We are 2 passionate individuals who decided to do something. I could not sit by and see mothers crying out for help to get reunited with their children. It is my hope and dream that this documentary puts a spotlight on the many mobilizing organizations and members of the community speaking up about the system that undermines those who are less privileged in society. WE NEED YOUR HELP! PLEASE DONATE but if that is not something you can do, you can support the film by following us on social media. Follow us on Instagram @repnewardaily and follow our journey. There we’ll be sharing more information, as well as product updates. TELL YOUR FRIENDS SHARE THIS CAMPAIGN ON SOCIAL MEDIA. The bigger our outreach, the higher the chance of us meeting our goal.

 

Film Details

 

Title: “The Hearts That Never Heal”

Directors: Tiffany J. Fenton & Carter Mangan Jr.

Year of Release: 2022

Approximate Running Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Location: A majority of the film is being shot in North Carolina.

 

Director(s) Bio:

 

Tiffany Fenton, founder of YerrrMedia, LLC, ​​ is an author, Illustrator, and journalist from Newark, New Jersey. Her company, OurKidsRead, LLC has produced the children's book "Sugar Buggies". It also focuses on helping and educating independent authors and offers support to parents to encourage their children to read. Tiffany also runs an online media platform, RepNewarkDaily. The website focuses on arts, culture, and community engagement efforts in Newark, NJ. As a local reporter, she has published articles on The Patch NJ local platform. Tiffany is also a teaching glass artist for Glass Roots Organization, a substitute teacher for the Newark Board of Education, as well as a youth development specialist for the Boy and Girls Club of Newark New Jersey. She specializes in coordinating and supervising programs designed to help members discover their interests and abilities. Visit her website for full details at www.RepNewarkDaily.com.

 

 

Carter "Roc" Mangan Jr. is a music producer, musician and sound engineer from Newark, New Jersey. Roc’s company (Off The Rock, LLC) creates original content for film, television, artists and other media. His company has placements in television shows across many networks including CBS, FOX, Showtime, HBO, MTV, VH1, E!, Oxygen, BET, Bravo, The Travel Channel, OWN, Telemundo, Hulu, YouTube Red, Revolt TV and Netflix. Carter also does music and production work with many musicians, recording artists, content creators and filmmakers across many genres, countries and media platforms. Visit his website for full details at www.CarterManganJr.com.