In BULLY, filmmaker Lee Hirsch graphically portrays the tragedy of bullying to catalyze everyone to be part of the solution. The BULLY Educator DVD & Toolkit, which includes Not In Our School videos and resources, is now available for pre-order.
Hirsch recently won the the Stanley Kramer Award of the Producers Guild of America. According to 2013 PGA Awards Chair Michael De Luca, “BULLY sparked a movement, sparked a shift in consciousness and rallied people of all ages to stand up against intolerance and hate. It’s a film that I believe Stanley Kramer himself would applaud and we’re thrilled to recognize it with this honor.”
By Lee Hirsch
I was bullied as a kid, so it’s something I feel deeply inside of me. As a filmmaker, I have a voice, an avenue to reach others. So, I wanted to use that storytelling ability and the podium of filmmaking to give a voice to those kids and try to make a difference, to come out of their silence—that place that feels like no one is listening or cares.
And as we started making a film, my producer and I witnessed through the eye of a camera, the entire landscape, the tragedy and heartbreak of bullying. We saw how bullying impacted not only the children, but their classmates, their teachers, their parents and the whole community.
When the film was released, we had a community screening in one of the local communities where we filmed. Over 1,600 people came, including many of the kids who were in the film. And all of the administrators were there, including Kim Lockwood, who's portrayed in the film. I think the experience has deeply affected her. After the screening, she had the courage to stand in front of her community and say, “I’m really sorry. I got it wrong, and I have to do better. We, as educators, have to do better. We owe it to our kids.”
That’s the kind of transformation that this film can achieve. It can get folks to figure out how they can do a better job.
We set a goal of taking 1 million kids to watch BULLY in theaters and, to date, over 250,000 students have gone to see the film, including entire school districts across the country. With the release of the DVD, we know we can reach 1 million kids at thousands of schools across the U.S.
The film has touched hearts beyond our wildest expectations and inspired a national conversation. It also has left viewers with a question: Now what?
That is where our partners like Not In Our School come in. We are so grateful for our national partners who offer pathways, resources and inspiring examples of ways to take action. We invite the Not In Our School community to join us in our mission to raise awareness and take a stand against bullying and bring the DVD to your schools and communities.