Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story

In 2004, at age 16, Cyntoia Brown murdered a man. Tried as an adult and found guilty, she’s currently serving a life sentence in a Nashville prison. Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story is a documentary following her life behind bars, from a teenager to a young woman. Director Daniel Birman was hoping to find a project centered on youth violence when he heard about Brown. He flew out to meet her three days after hearing of the murder. The experience proved much more complex than he’d expected.

The film begins with Brown’s arrest and follows her over the course of six years. It discusses the decisions Brown, an intelligent young woman with an IQ over 140, and others made that led to her incarceration. Berman finds a history of rape, substance abuse, suicide and psychiatric issues throughout her life, all of which mirror the experiences of other women in her family. He also documents her triumphs as she struggles to take charge of her life behind bars. 7 p.m. Rice University, 6100 Main. For information, call 713-348-4882 or visit www.film.rice.edu. Free.
Wed., Feb. 23, 7 p.m., 2011

KEEP THE HOUSTON PRESS FREE... Since we started the Houston Press, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Houston, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls.
Bradley Basker