Catholic in Film School

I just came from a screening of “Father G and the Homeboys”, a documentary about Fr. Greg Boyle and his work in the non-profit he founded, Homeboy Industries.

Homeboy Industries is basically a one-stop shop for any gang member who wants to leave his/her old life. They provide counseling, tattoo removal, drug rehabilitation, job placement, and perhaps most important—a new family.

I had heard of Fr. G beforehand since he’s a Jesuit, and I have a few friends who have volunteered down at Homeboy Industries. There were a few technical mistakes, but overall the film was really inspiring and I would definitely recommend it.

The first shot is of gang footage of a young man being shot outside a convenience store. It wasn’t as graphic as it may sound (I’ve seen some seriously gory gang documentaries), but it set the tone for the movie, indicating that this is a serious issue and what Fr. G is doing is nothing short of a miracle.

The doc follows a couple of the “homeboys” on their road to recovery. Gabriel is the charismatic young father who we follow as he goes through multiple tattoo removals. (In the panel he told us that today was procedure #41.) Joey is the most “together” of the bunch, living with another homeboy named Joe who fights an addiction to crystal meth, even going missing for a period of time during the seven-year shoot. (Now Joe works as a counselor at H.I.) As the organization grew, it grew notoriety, and Joey even got a speaking role in the movie “Gridiron Gang” and has continued to act in some television shows.

There are some seriously hilarious parts, but my favorite was when Gabriel and Fr. G go to visit the White House. As funny as it was though, there wasn’t a dry eye in the theatre when the mothers of deceased gang members spoke their piece. Fr. G explained that he once buried 8 kids in the span of three weeks. But as Fr. G also says, “Nothing stops a bullet like a job.”

Throughout their successes, failures, and setbacks, Homeboy Industries continues to help young men and women seek a better life. It’s movies like this that make me want to do better, be better, and bring more inspiring stories to the industry.

Check out the website and the trailer.

Here are some photos from the panel discussion:

Director John Bohm

The lovely panel: Fr. G, Gabriel, Carla, her fiancee Jose, and John Bohm

Pax Christi, Rebecca.