Director's Vision for “The Boarder”
By Jolene Adams
My intention for “The Boarder” is that it serve to shine a light into one of the darkest corners of human behavior.
When I met our Executive Producer, Jane E. Ryan, and learned about the real life events that inspired her screenplay, I knew that if ever there was an author worth collaborating with, for me, it was Jane. I knew hers was a story I wanted to tell. I was compelled not only because it offered insight into the serious but little understood Reactive Attachment Disorder, but also because for me it posed and quite possibly answered universal questions. What is love? Does evil really exist? And if evil does exist, how is it born and what can we do about it?
The days I spent reading Jane’s book "Broken Spirits Lost Souls" I was sick to my stomach. The candid true stories of parents struggling with children who range from the embryonic stages of anti-social personalities to full out psychopaths was mind blowing. I learned that children who don't bond with their parents due to neglect, violence or psychological trauma can grow up without the ability to empathize with others. Most of these kids are brilliant manipulators even though this early abuse can leave them brain damaged. They are programmed to survive by charming strangers, hurting themselves and others. I have not met one person who has not had some contact with someone who is affected by RAD.
And, one of the biggest revelations to me was the plight of the mothers of these children. When their heroic attempts to love their kids back to mental health fail, the resultant pain and guilt they are left to live with is unbearable to fathom. Who hasn’t judged a parent harshly when they see a child spiral out of control? We simply do not understand the level of difficulty that these parents are dealing with. These are not spoiled children, they are victims acting out in a never-ending loop of abuse. Their backstories are gut wrenching. Like an abused animal biting the hand that feeds it, the havoc these children can wreak on their primary care givers is shocking. And these mom’s, who only desire to give, are left isolated and ashamed that their love isn’t enough.
As you can imagine, with their limited ability to connect, these children
demonstrate a frightening lack of conscience. Some of them become the monsters in society that we find impossible to stop or understand. To know that families are up against this disorder every day and are only armed with love motivated me to never stop pushing for this film to affect people in a way that didn’t shut them down.
What do we do with all of this pain? How do we make sure that this story isn’t a horror film that lets people walk away saying, “That was exciting but it has nothing to do with my life.” The answer for me was to fuel the film with the riveting truth of the case studies made believable by the raw acting of our cast. Taking advantage of our Director of Photography, Carmen Cabana’s gifted eye for beauty, we seduce the audience. They free-fall into the loving arms of the Williams family who open their home to Carl, a foster child, and are blindsided by his disorder along with our heroine Annika. I wanted to shake the viewers up, not the way a horror film shakes you up, but in a way that stays with you and motivates you to explore the deeper definitions of love and evil.
So, this unlikely love story between a mother and child had to unfold as in life. If the audience connects with Annika from the beginning as she is dominated by a well-meaning husband and then as she finds the courage to fight her co-dependence, we will believe the story and be changed by it. When Annika is face to face with evil we are face to face with evil and then with only ourselves to lean on, we can face the devil and say, “No, I am in charge now.” My vision for this film is deceptively simple, capture the miraculous healing of a lost cause on film so that our audience is given the strength that Jane and Annika found to stand up and not give up.
By Jolene Adams
My intention for “The Boarder” is that it serve to shine a light into one of the darkest corners of human behavior.
When I met our Executive Producer, Jane E. Ryan, and learned about the real life events that inspired her screenplay, I knew that if ever there was an author worth collaborating with, for me, it was Jane. I knew hers was a story I wanted to tell. I was compelled not only because it offered insight into the serious but little understood Reactive Attachment Disorder, but also because for me it posed and quite possibly answered universal questions. What is love? Does evil really exist? And if evil does exist, how is it born and what can we do about it?
The days I spent reading Jane’s book "Broken Spirits Lost Souls" I was sick to my stomach. The candid true stories of parents struggling with children who range from the embryonic stages of anti-social personalities to full out psychopaths was mind blowing. I learned that children who don't bond with their parents due to neglect, violence or psychological trauma can grow up without the ability to empathize with others. Most of these kids are brilliant manipulators even though this early abuse can leave them brain damaged. They are programmed to survive by charming strangers, hurting themselves and others. I have not met one person who has not had some contact with someone who is affected by RAD.
And, one of the biggest revelations to me was the plight of the mothers of these children. When their heroic attempts to love their kids back to mental health fail, the resultant pain and guilt they are left to live with is unbearable to fathom. Who hasn’t judged a parent harshly when they see a child spiral out of control? We simply do not understand the level of difficulty that these parents are dealing with. These are not spoiled children, they are victims acting out in a never-ending loop of abuse. Their backstories are gut wrenching. Like an abused animal biting the hand that feeds it, the havoc these children can wreak on their primary care givers is shocking. And these mom’s, who only desire to give, are left isolated and ashamed that their love isn’t enough.
As you can imagine, with their limited ability to connect, these children
demonstrate a frightening lack of conscience. Some of them become the monsters in society that we find impossible to stop or understand. To know that families are up against this disorder every day and are only armed with love motivated me to never stop pushing for this film to affect people in a way that didn’t shut them down.
What do we do with all of this pain? How do we make sure that this story isn’t a horror film that lets people walk away saying, “That was exciting but it has nothing to do with my life.” The answer for me was to fuel the film with the riveting truth of the case studies made believable by the raw acting of our cast. Taking advantage of our Director of Photography, Carmen Cabana’s gifted eye for beauty, we seduce the audience. They free-fall into the loving arms of the Williams family who open their home to Carl, a foster child, and are blindsided by his disorder along with our heroine Annika. I wanted to shake the viewers up, not the way a horror film shakes you up, but in a way that stays with you and motivates you to explore the deeper definitions of love and evil.
So, this unlikely love story between a mother and child had to unfold as in life. If the audience connects with Annika from the beginning as she is dominated by a well-meaning husband and then as she finds the courage to fight her co-dependence, we will believe the story and be changed by it. When Annika is face to face with evil we are face to face with evil and then with only ourselves to lean on, we can face the devil and say, “No, I am in charge now.” My vision for this film is deceptively simple, capture the miraculous healing of a lost cause on film so that our audience is given the strength that Jane and Annika found to stand up and not give up.