Review: Sedona International Film Festival Features The Parkland Project's THE CHILDREN WILL LEAD THE WAY

If there is a glimmer of hope that follows personal tragedy, then it must lie in the power of the human spirit to transcend the moment and, in the words of Confucius, to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.

In the aftermath of school shootings that have taken the lives of too many children, it takes a literal village of courageous young people to fulfill this wise counsel and the artistry of film to give witness to their resolve.

THE CHILDREN WILL LEAD THE WAY is one such cinematic testimonial (if you will, the metaphoric candle writ large). Emotionally powerful and illuminating, the 5-minute documentary and its evocative title song are the culmination of a creative collaboration among student musicians called The Parkland Project.

A bit of context is in order here.

Since the Columbine High School massacre on April 20th, 1999, there have been at least 284 school shootings in the United States, including 44 in the last two years. Hundreds of children gunned down in senseless sprees, leaving communities and a nation at large steeped in oceans of grief and bewilderment.

Among these incidents was the shooting on February 14th, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring 17 others.

Three months later, Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary fame), who, for the better part of his career, has sung and spoken truth to power, went to Parkland to lead a two-day workshop that culminated in The Parkland Project ~ a creative collaboration of student songwriters, musicians and vocalists whose original songs express not only the trauma of their experience but also their steadfast commitment to social justice and the passing of sensible gun legislation.

Last year, on December 26th, over 50 artists gathered for Georgia Comes Alive, a virtual music festival to promote voter participation in Georgia's upcoming Senate runoff elections. Yarrow was there to introduce three survivors of the Parkland shooting who performed The Parkland Project's lead song, The Children Will Lead The Way.

Here in Parkland is where the film begins.

Produced by Yarrow, written and performed by The Parkland Project, and directed by George and Beth Gage (Gage & Gage Productions ~ highly acclaimed champions of environmental and social justice), the work opens with gripping footage of the siren-charged chaos of that day; the harrowing images of bewildered and frightened children and parents; the aftermath of candlelight vigils; and the testimonials of survivors.

Yet, alternating with and rising above these images are the voices of affirmation that such horrifying moments cannot and will not stand. Like a chorus of redeeming angels, three young women (Marisol Garrido, Payton Francis, and Sofia Rothenberg) stand tall and intone the haunting yet hopeful lyrics of the eponymous song that promises in no uncertain terms their resolve to stop the killings, and that, yes, declares emphatically that "children will lead the way."

The heart-rending film travels the road from tears to cheers. From the tears of grieving families to the resounding cheers for a new generation of young champions of change.

There is the scroll of the seventeen students and staff who were killed, prompting us to ask, as each name appears, on how many more walls must the names of young souls lost to mindless violence be etched.

• Alyssa Alhadeff, 14
• Scott Beigel, 35
• Martin Duque, 14
• Nicholas Dworet, 17
• Aaron Feis, 37
• Jaime Guttenberg, 14
• Chris Hixon, 49
• Luke Hoyer, 15
• Cara Loughran, 14
• Gina Montalto, 14
• Joaquin Oliver, 17
• Alaina Petty, 14
• Meadow Pollack, 18
• Helena Ramsay, 17
• Alex Schachter, 14
• Carmen Schentrup, 16
• Peter Wang, 15

May their memories be a blessing.

If there is a chance, as many may fear, that society might become inured to the carnage as if it were some new normal of American life, that these lost lives are somehow the tragic and inevitable collateral damage of a dysfunctional culture, the film makers proclaim, Hold on! Take note that, after the vigil candles burn out, calamity has ignited the vibrant fire of youthful activism and a generation's audacious commitment to social change.

The film moves beyond the laments and prayers of the day to scenes of the uplifting 2018 March for Our Lives and to profiles of the emerging generation of activist champions of progressive change ~ Sophie Cruz (immigration), Greta Thunberg (climate), Malala Yousafszi (girl's education), Autumn Peltier (clean water), Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (environment), and Marley Dias (feminism and founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks).

THE CHILDREN WILL LEAD THE WAY conveys an awakening of spirit among youth that seems contagious ~ that recognizes the interconnectedness of their concerns and compels them to join in common cause. As a whole, it is a buoyant and emotion-laden celebration of hope and confidence that the survivors of these terrifying moments will prevail and will model for the rest of us the courage required to reverse the madness. It is, above all, an essential and compelling reminder ~ a must-see five minutes ~ that our commitment to remember must be joined by an equal obligation to take action.

THE CHILDREN WILL LEAD THE WAY is one of the featured screenings at this year's Sedona International Film Festival. It joins a special viewing of the full-length film, IN MEMORIAM, which "depicts the human cost of the country's mass shooting epidemic through point of view of the surviving victims and communities of three of the deadliest shootings in U.S history."

The screening of THE CHILDREN WILL LEAD THE WAY will be followed by a Zoom Q&A with Peter Yarrow and a live performance by Sofia Rothenberg and Payton Francis who are featured in the film.

The full program is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. on June 13th at the Sedona Performing Arts Center, 995 Red Rock Crossing Road, Sedona, AZ.

The Parkland Project's album, Wake Up, America, is available through all major music platforms including Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Google Play, and iTunes. A sample is available at Wake up, America by The Parkland Project (songwhip.com). For more of the Project's products, link to http://www.parklandmusicproject.com/.

Photo credit to Gage & Gage Productions

Sedona International Film Festival ~ https://sedonafilmfestival.com/ ~ 928-282-1177 ~ 2030 W. State Route 89A, Suite A-3, Sedona, AZ

Gage & Gage Productions ~ Beth & George Gage, PO BOX 2526, Telluride, CO 81435

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