Director: Darius Clark Monroe
Year: 2014
Running Time: 83 minutes
Synopsis
How does a 16 year-old evolve into a bank robber? In Evolution of a Criminal, filmmaker Darius Clark Monroe asks this very question—about himself. After seeing his mother and stepfather struggle to make ends meet while living outside of Houston, Texas, Monroe decided to help them by robbing a bank with two friends. In the film, Monroe interviews his family members, close friends and mentors who recount the stages of his transformation, going from a joyous childhood to the moment he realized the severity of his family’s financial problems, and how their struggles changed his outlook on society and his life as a whole. Returning to his neighborhood several years after the crime, Monroe creates an incredibly intimate and personal journey of reflection and forgiveness while beautifully examining lower class struggles, the desperation of a teen under pressure, and the emotional impact that rippled in the aftermath of that day.
Awards
BlackStar Film Festival – Audience Award, Best Documentary Feature, Special Recognition in Directing for Documentary
Dallas International Film Festival – Special Jury Prize
DocuWest – Best Feature Documentary Award
Full Frame – Grand Jury Prize, Filmmaker Award
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival – Grand Jury Award
International Documentary Association – Emerging Filmmaker Award
Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival – HBO Best Documentary Feature Award
Evolution of a Criminal
Evolution of a Criminal
Evolution of a Criminal