Private Project

THE CHILDREN BEHIND THE MOON

The documentary brings to light some of the most significant murders of black and Latino teenagers and young people by police in the United States in the last 10 years.

The case file comes from U.S. government records.

The documentary examines the use of force by police against children and finds that black and Hispanic teenagers are much more likely to die from police shootings than their white peers.

THE RESEARCH

Researchers at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC, analyzed national data from death certificates compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics, including cause of death and race and ethnicity.

They identified all adolescents between age 12 and 17 who died from firearm injuries due to police intervention between 2003 and 2018 and compared rates of these deaths across racial and ethnic groups based on U.S. Census Bureau data.

During the 16-year study period, 140 children died from police intervention, and of those, 113 involved firearms. About 93% of the children killed were boys, with an average age of 16.

The documentary finds out that Black children were six times more likely to be shot to death by police than white children. Hispanic children’s risk of death was almost three times higher than that of white children.

  • THOMAS SIDERIS
    Director
  • THOMAS SIDERIS
    Writer
  • PENELOPE MAKRINIOTI
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    36 minutes 42 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 23, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    60,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - THOMAS SIDERIS

T h o m a s S i d e r i s is an investigative journalist and director. He is working at Greek Broadcasting Corporation. His name was in the short list for 3 years in a row (2018, 2019, 2021) for the PRIX EUROPA PRIZE, a special EU prize for the best journalist in Europe.

He has been honored with TORCH AWARD in USA (human rights advocasy via his films, Pennsylvania, May 2021).

He is a formal member of the International Press Institute.

He has been honored with Journalists and Writers Foundation Award (New York, September 2019).

He has been honored with Athanasios Botsis Journalism Foundation Award (Athens, January 2018).

He has been honored with Albert Schweitzer International Organization Award (Vienna, September 2017).

He has been honored with more than 20 awards at film festivals around the world for his films.

PRIX EUROPA AWARDS, Best European Journalsit Award, Short list 2021.

PRIX EUROPA AWARDS, Best European Journalsit Award, Short list 2019.

PRIX EUROPA AWARDS, Best European Journalsit Award, Short list 2018.

At the age of 17, was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. He belongs to the autism spectrum, but it's a person with high functionality.

He studied Political Sciences and Public Administration at the Law School of the University of Athens and specialized in the mass media.

He has a postgraduate diploma in Human and Social Geography on the subject «Human Geography, Space Development and Design» by the University of the Aegean.

He is a PhD candidate in Human and Social Geography by the Harokopio University of Athens. His research field is about the human body in space, the human “landscapes” and the fluid temporary habitable spaces and the fluid identities.

He is a member of International Academy of Social Sciences (Florida, USA).

The films:

THE POMEGRANATES OF NAGORNO KARABAKH, 78 min 22 sec, GREECE, 2022
• FINALIST, Mirabile Dictu, International Catholic Film Festival

LET ME BREATHE', 73 min, USA, 2021
• TORCH AWARD, USA, 2021
• ICAN HANNA International Film Festival Award, Pennsylvania, USA, 2021
• AWARD OF DISTINCTION Huntington Beach Cultural Showcase, Florida, USA, 2021
• Official selection (FINALIST) in the ICANLAX International Documentary Festival, LOS ANGELES, USA (September 24-26, 2021)
• Official selection (NOMINEE) Kautik International Film Festival, India, December 2020
• Official selection of Antiracism Weeks, Germany, 2021
• Official selection (NOMINEE) International Film Festival of Detective Films and Television programs on Law-Enforcement themes DetectiveFEST, Russia, 2021

THE MUDDY RIVER OF BAASIM, 74 min, USA, 2020
• GOLD AWARD, IERAPETRA INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL AND AWARDS, GREECE, 2021
• AUDIENCE AWARD, IERAPETRA INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL AND AWARDS, GREECE, 2021
• OFFICIAL SELECTION THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL, GREECE, 2021
• Official selection (FINALIST) in the 1st Festival of Human Rights of Catalonia (Festival de Cinema i Drets Humans de Catalunya) (April 2021)
• Official SELECTION of Antiracism Weeks, Germany, 2021
• OFFICIAL SELECTION AND SEMI FINALIST SOUTH EAST REGIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, USA, 2020
• OFFICIAL SELECTION AND SEMI FINALIST AFRICA FILM FOR IMPACT FESTIVAL, NIGERIA, 2020

EXODUS, 30 min, GREECE, 2021
• HONORABLE MENTION 10th Athens International Digital Film Festival
• HONORABLE MENTION 5th SLEMENI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
• OFFICIAL SELECTION, 4th Bahari International Film Festival, Indonesia, September 2021
• OFFICIAL PARTICIPATION, Annual Competition, Asian Broadcasting Union

A PRISON OF SILENCE, 68:25 min, GREECE, 2021
• OFFICIAL SELECTION, 1st 1st Grito Queer International Film Festival, Sao Paolo, Brazil, October, 2021

THE NOOSE, 103 min, GREECE-USA-TURKEY-GERMANY, 2018
• SILVER AWARD INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL OF IERAPETRA 2018
• HONORARY DISTINCTION BOTSI JOURNALISM FOUNDATION, 2018
• OFFICIAL SELECTION INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL OF THESSALONIKI, GREECE, 2018
• SPECIAL MENTION JOURNALISTS AND WRITERS FOUNDATION NEW YORK, 2019
• SPECIAL MENTION AMERICAN TURKISH FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION, USA, 2019
• SPECIAL MENTION COUNTY OF FAIRFAX, USA, 2019
• SPECIAL MENTION DIALOGUE PLATFORM, BRUSSELS, 2019
• *OFFICIAL SELECTION FILM FOR PEACE, TORONTO, CANADA, 2020
• OFFICIAL SELECTION ATHENS INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL, 2020

LIKE THE SEAGULLS OVER THE GOLDEN HORN, 74 min, GREECE, 2020
• SPECIAL MENTION LONDON GREEK FILM FESTIVAL, 2020
• SPECIAL AWARD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF IERAPETRA, 2020
• AWARD FOR PROTOTYPE MUSIC INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF IERAPETRA, 2020
• HONORARY DISTINCTION, 9th ATHENS INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL, 2020
• OFFICIAL SELECTION AND FINALIST ATHENS INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL, 2020
• OFFICIAL SELECTION AND FINALIST AEGEAN DOCS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL, 2020

LETTER FROM THE PONDUS, ERT PRODUCTION, 75 min, GREECE, 2019
• OFFICIAL SELECTION INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL OF IERAPETRA, 2019
• OFFICIAL SELECTION INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL OF CHALKIDA, 2019

St POLYKARPOY STREET (VOTANIKOS), 56 min, GREECE, 2018
• OFFICIAL SELECTION INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL OF IERAPETRA, 2019
• OFFICIAL SELECTION INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL OF CHALKIDA, 2019

Participation in international scientific conferences and forums

John Caroll Univercity, Law Faculty | March 22, 2019, Ohio Cleveland | Title of scientific announcement: The violation of human rights in Turkey.
Panhellenic Congress of Pulmonology | Medical School of the University of Thessaly | City of Volos, October 14-17, 2021 | Title of scientific announcement: The health certificate 1850-2020.
European Network for Housing Research (ENHR) | Harokopio Univercity of Athens | August 30, 2019 | Field trip in Votanikos with European professors | Title of scientific announcement: Votanikos, a hybrid space.
International Scientific Conference for Janusz Korczak | Univercity of Patras | November 2019 | Title of scientific announcement: Treblinka extermination camp: topography and geography of the cage.
World Affairs Council of Harrisburg | Peace Symposium | Saturday, September 18, 2021 | Title of scientific announcement: The major global human rights issues impacting global peace and security.
Peace Islands Organization | Human Rights Advocacy | Sunday, March 28, 2021 | Title of scientific announcement: The human rights in US the latest 70 years.
Journalists and Writers Foundation | Human Rights Advocacy | July 28, 2020 | Title of scientific announcement: The bodies of immigrants in space.
International Weeks against Racism | The International Weeks against Racism in the Federal Republic of Germany | June 19, 2021, Berlin | Title of scientific announcement: The immigants flows in Balkan.
International Weeks against Racism | The International Weeks against Racism in the Federal Republic of Germany | March 12, 2019, Berlin | Title of scientific announcement: The human rights and the press freedom in Turkey, 2010-2019.
International Weeks against Racism | The International Weeks against Racism in the Federal Republic of Germany | March 14, 2019, Leipzig | Title of scientific announcement: The timeless violation of human rights in Turkey.
American Turkish FriendShip Association | March 18, 2019, Washington DC | Title of scientific announcement: How the mass media help the defence of the human rights.
Brussels Press Club | April 9, 2019, Brussels | itle of scientific announcement: IDP & Solidary with Others present Purge Museum and The Noose.

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