The deeply personal and impactful film, Hazing, takes viewers on a journey to better understand the devastation caused by the culture of hazing on American college campuses — a reality all too many face. Award-winning filmmaker Byron Hurt portrays the severity of the issue by grounding the narrative in personal accounts, as a former fraternity member himself, others who have seen the consequences of hazing firsthand, family members and friends of hazing victims who have passed, survivors of hazing and other former brothers from both Black and historically White fraternities.
The film establishes a common ground of knowledge and understanding by taking viewers through the history of hazing, a long-standing method of proving one’s loyalty to an organization whether that be a Greek life organization, a sports team, a military organization, etc. From there, the film explores the emotional and psychological dynamics behind the act of pledging and hazing. Those who complete the pledge process and endure hazing are rewarded with the opportunity to belong to a close-knit and elite organization: a brotherhood or sisterhood.
The film explores this desire to belong and its connection to hazing as a method of debunking common misconceptions about hazing which lead to the perpetuation of hazing culture and victim blaming. Viewers learn the raw emotional and psychological reality that hazing creates — not just for the sisters and brothers involved but their loved ones and communities as well. Hurt and others call out the absurdity of hazing itself and those who allow it to continue, through direct action or silence.
After enduring hazing and taking part in it himself, Hurt has made it his mission to combat the forces that allow for such horrors to happen year after year on campuses across the country. Through the collection of powerful firsthand accounts, testimonies from those who have lost a loved one to hazing, and statements from experts, Hurt has created a film that conveys the impact of the hazing culture in a way that is digestible losing none of the gravity of the issue.
By viewing hazing through broader lenses including historical, institutional, social, and cultural contexts, Hazing makes itself a valuable resource for those who wish to better understand the issue and prepare young people who are likely to come into contact with it in their lives.
What kind of film series would this documentary fit in?
This film would fit into any series geared towards teens and young adults on the brink of transitioning from high school to college. This film would also fit into a series focused on issues involving sociological, psychological, and social issues.
Where we can use this documentary as an educational resource?
Individuals and organizations that desire to educate others about the dangers of hazing can easily use this film. Universities should host a public screening of this title in order to create change that prevents further tragedies from occurring at the hands of the hazing culture.
Would this film be suitable for a public screening?
This film deserves a public screening. Classrooms, lecture halls, and assemblies would all be great settings for a screening to take place. Surrounded by peers and loved ones, viewers may be more receptive to the film's message and ready to take what it teaches them and apply it to their lives. With that being said, I do think that this film is not appropriate for those younger than high school age. There are images and subjects brought up that may be unsuitable for young viewers and the message of the film may not resonate with them quite yet.
About the Filmmaker
Byron Hurt is an award-winning filmmaker, activist, lecturer, and leader in the gender-violence prevention field. His highly acclaimed documentary “Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was broadcast nationally on the PBS documentary series Independent Lens. His film “Soul Food Junkies”, which also aired nationally on PBS, won best documentary at several film festivals. In 2010, he hosted the Emmy-nominated television show “Reel Works with Byron Hurt”. In addition, Byron has over two decades of experience working with NCAA athletes, members of the U.S. military, fraternities, and everyday men and women throughout the world on bystander-based, gender-violence prevention. His lectures on the topic focus on how hypermasculinity in popular culture normalizes male violence; how commonalities between race, class, and gender link oppression; how homophobia and transphobia make LGBT communities vulnerable to male violence; how positive male leadership and bystander intervention can end gender-based violence; and how to use cis male privilege to ally with women and girls to redefine masculinity and promote healthy relationships. Byron also serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia University, was a filmmaker-in-residence at American University, and has been featured in leading media outlets from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Source to CNN, MSNBC, NPR, BET, and ABC World News Tonight.
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