Claudette Who? The Answer is in Elementary Film

MILWAUKEE - The biggest challenge for a group of young Milwaukee filmmakers whose work is entered in the Wisconsin Film Festival is whether they and their friends will be able to attend the screening. It's past their bedtime on a school night.

The filmmakers, now fifth-graders at Hartford University School, made the film "Claudette Who?" last year when they were in fourth grade, with help and support from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Film Department. The six-minute film is entered in "Wisconsin Shorts," in a section of the film festival focused on Wisconsin filmmakers and/or films shot in Wisconsin. It will be shown at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4 in Madison. The festival is a state-wide, juried competition.

"Claudette Who?" is about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year girl from Montgomery, Alabama who was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man in March, 1955.

Sound familiar?

"Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man and the police came and took her away and her life was ruined," says Jasper Hanson, one of the Hartford filmmakers. Six months after Colvin's arrest, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man, launching the Civil Rights movement and becoming famous.

Today, hardly anyone remembers Claudette Colvin, the students say.

"Children and teens do important and courageous things, but they don't get written about in the history books, adds Jared Derksen, another of the Hartford filmmakers.

The then fourth-graders read about Claudette Colvin in a book called "Witnesses for Freedom" by Belinda Rochelle. The book, now out of print, and Claudette Colvin's story made a tremendous impression on them, says their fourth-grade teacher, Doug Smith.

As part of a class project, a group of the students decided to make a digital movie, interviewing Milwaukee County Transit bus drivers to see if they knew who Claudette Colvin was.

Jared and Jasper did the short on-screen interviews. Classmates Eddy Burch, Alonzo Dorsey, Romone McKnuckles and Earnest Bolden, Jr. were also involved in filming, editing and adding a musical soundtrack to "Claudette Who?"

Renato Umali, a student and instructor in the UWM Film Department, served as director, helping the students edit their film as part of UWM's Film in the Schools project.

"We're trying to improve media literacy in the schools," says Umali, who had previously worked with high school students, but never elementary students.

In making "Claudette Who?" the filmmakers found that, not surprisingly, none of the bus drivers knew who Claudette Colvin was, and were interested and impressed when the students explained her story to them. At the end of the film, the students added a note and a current photo of Claudette Colvin, who "lives and works in relative obscurity today."

Colvin's courage inspired the Hartford students who made the film. If it happened today, says Jasper, "I wouldn't give up my seat on the bus." Jared says he's glad the Civil Rights movement changed the world so he can go to school with students from many different races. "I'm glad things changed or I wouldn't have some of the friends that I have now."

Even though the students loved sharing Claudette's story through their digital video, neither Jared nor Jasper plans on a career in film. "I can't be a filmmaker because I plan to be a lawyer," says Jared. Japser is considering a number of options for his future. When questioned further, he mentions one specific goal..."President of the United States."

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