UNION — The “Boys of Bate” is a story of hope and transformation, and for the eighteen teenagers who made the movie, work on its filming and production helped them to face their addictions and save their lives. Made over the summer of 2014 by the young men at Bate House, the film is 43 minutes long and promotes hope and transformation by depicting the dilemmas two friends face when choosing to be drug-free.
Shortly after Integrity House director Roman Petrocelli, MA, LPC joined the Bate staff in February 2014, he was contacted by Saladin Stafford, a corrections officer in Newark whose passion is producing hip hop videos. Around the same time, Saladin had finished turning one of his videos into a feature film called “NickNames” at the request of community leaders. After taking the residents to see the film, Petrocelli was able to have Saladin talk to them at the Bate House facility.
“After he left, I processed it with the main group and I said, ‘Well, do you think we could make a short film based on your experience here?” and they were so gung-ho about it [with] youthful exuberance … which, you don’t see a lot sometimes in this setting,” he says.
Petrocelli says he and another staff member reviewed guides such as “How to Make a Short Film for Dummies” and brought in story boards the next day. Upon realizing the project would take work, the kids were slightly crestfallen. But residents rose to the occasion, he says, writing the script themselves by combining four or five of their own personal stories to provide the storyline of the two main characters—Petrocelli directed and gave them guidance when asked—he had to approve the scripts, too—but the project was completely resident-driven.
“The young men behind this one-of-a-kind project won the ‘2017 Impact Award’ at the inaugural NJ Recovery Film Festival, said Roman Petrocelli.”
He continued “I will be forever grateful to this special group of young men who made this film to educate and support others.”
Bate serves kids who are 13 to 18 years old, and it is one of many residential treatment programs of Integrity House, a well-known substance abuse rehabilitation center in the heart of Newark.
In the movie, the main character, Steve, known as Pos, is arrested with his friend for selling drugs in front of a drug treatment facility for teens. After they are released from a detention center, they are reunited at a treatment facility, where they believe they can do whatever they want. Wrong. The experience changes them, teaching them about honesty along the way, in the effort to make their lives turn out right.
And that’s what many of the kids came to grips with in the Bate program. Some didn’t want to buy in to their recovery when they got there, but making the movie changed that. It gave them a reason to shape up. Steve knew he needed help and he didn’t resist. The movie reinforced his desire to get well because he was so miserable. The talented baseball player and straight “A” student was a dropout by the 11th grade. And his best friend overdosed a month before he showed up at Integrity House.
Integrity House’s “Boys of Bate”, a client-created and produced short film about adolescent drug abuse, hope, struggles and transformations. A fundraiser and red carpet release premiere was held on February 25, 2015.
The New Jersey Recovery Film Festival was presented by Prevention Links, Capacity Images, and the Raymond J. Lesniak Experience, Strength and Hope Recovery High School. The event is a celebration of film, the arts and creatively expressing the journey to recovery. They showcased films that tell honest stories and share experience in addiction, strength discovered on the journey and the hope found in recovery.
Integrity House is committed to helping individuals and families through comprehensive, integrated addictions treatment and recovery support in a manner that brings about positive, long-term lifestyle change. Their CARF accredited and highly effective treatment community believes in a client-centered, holistic approach, offering integrated services and a full continuum of care for addressing substance use disorders. Caring and qualified staff assess individual needs throughout the process, allowing placement in flexible programs that best fit the clients’ needs. Founded in 1968, Integrity House is one of the largest non-profit providers of substance use disorder treatment in the State of New Jersey. Our robust outpatient, residential and supportive housing offerings, complemented with ongoing prevention and education services, have provided clients a path to sustainable sobriety.
The festival was held at Kean University, STEM building, on Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3.
