Bully

The Sydney Film Festival is not just about fictional films. You can get to see many interesting documentaries as well.
I am one of many people in this world who was bullied at school. It is something that has had strong ramifications on my life as an adult. All through my school life I was verbally teased and picked on. Luckily I was not physically harmed but I still feel the emotional damage. When I meet people I fully expect them to not like me, that is how 'messed up' I am. It was not until I left school and started work and went to university that I met people who seemed to like me for who I was and I was finally able to make some lasting friendship.
Bullying is something that seems to have come to the international consciousness of late, mostly due to the proliferation of new technologies. Bullies have more ways now to have an impact on their victims. With mobile phones and the Internet, bullies can now get to people in their homes. It used to be that you only got bullied at school but now it can happen anywhere in your life. People are also now making bullying more obvious as they post video clips on the Internet of what they do.
This made me very interested in seeing this documentary. The film is made in the observational way of following around a few kids and talking to them about how they are being bullied. We also get to see a couple of families whose children have taken very drastic steps in dealing with the issue. The main focus of the film is a 12 year-old boy named Alex. He is different looking and is the constant victim of bullies. What I found really surprising about the film is that we see Alex as he takes the bus to school each day and how kids pick on him and physically abuse him on the bus. What shocked me the most was that how can kids do this when they know they are being filmed? To me the cameras were fairly obvious in their filming. It did not look to be filmed in a secretive way. Yet the kids still pick on this poor boy. I think what will shock you the most though is the reaction of the school's vice principal when the film makers show her the footage they have taken of Alex being bullied. There are also the very emotional stories from parents who have lost children to this form of abuse. My only other problem with the film is that I would have liked a bit more analysis of the situation. Perhaps some interviews from psychiatrists or other professionals about the issue and how we can implement steps to stop it.
An excellent documentary that looks at one of the most important issues facing children today. Something that I think many of us can relate to in some way.