- Welcome to Independent Lens .
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut .
It's every parent's worst nightmare.
They send their child off to college
only to find out that the campus organization they joined
to help them assimilate to this new chapter
of their adult lives was responsible for their death.
Tonight's film Hazing explores how such incidents occur
and how what is supposed to be a unifying rite of passage
can turn into a dehumanizing, abusive,
and sometimes lethal situation.
On May 24 of 2012, Florida A&M drum major Robert Champion
endured a beating from other Florida A&M bandmates
in the aisle of a school bus.
The beating was so intense and brutal
that it took Champion's life.
This is just one of the many deaths by hazing
in this documentary, but it was the one that inspired
and compelled director Byron Hurt to make this film.
Unfortunately, hazing incidents like this are all too common
in organizations that are supposed to serve
the impressionable as they enter into adulthood,
whether it's from a fraternity or sorority,
sports team or military outfit.
Hurt not only takes us into this world of hazing,
but also unveils why young people are so willing
to participate in events that bring them harm
just to belong to a group or society.
Adding a layer to Hurt's film
is his exploration of hazing's impact on people of color,
delving in to the topic of toxic masculinity
and institutional cover-ups following hazing incidents.
The director tells his story
through the voices of family members and friends
of hazing victims as well as the survivors.
Byron Hurt's previous efforts, Soul Food Junkies
and Hip Hop Beats and Rhymes
also screened on Independent Lens to rave reviews.
This is his third feature length film,
and this time around,
he's got some serious documentary star power
in his corner in executive producer Stanley Nelson,
himself a critically acclaimed filmmaker.
There is nothing quite as refreshing as watching a film
by a director telling a story they absolutely had to tell,
so much so that their passion
becomes infectious to the viewer.
The compelling Hazing starts now on PBS Wisconsin,
your home for independent film.