Documentary portrays student life at Juan Diego CHS

Intermountain Catholic

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Planet Grande Pictures Roger Davis (right) and John Watkin capture Juan Diego Catholic High School students interacting during lunch. IC photo/Christine Young

DRAPER — Planet Grande Pictures filmed a pilot documentary of the students at Juan Diego Catholic High School during the first week of school, Aug. 20-22. The concept was to capture American high school students trying to balance every-day challenges that come with being a teenager viewed through the prism of Catholicism.

Planet Grande Pictures, in association with partners Octagon and Flying Kitty, began this project last spring by interviewing 90 students over a three-day period to get an idea of what was on the minds of the students. Producers wanted to present a proposal for a series to Lifetime cable network, with Juan Diego as the featured high school in eight to 10 episodes.

"We have several networks that are interested in the documentary based on what we have already filmed," said John Watkin, Planet Grande Pictures director/producer and editor/cameraman. "We are going to take the material we have filmed over the last three days, cut it, show the networks and hopefully excite them to run the series."

The idea came from John Cronin, Flying Kitty executive producer, who grew up Catholic and attended Catholic schools in Massachusetts.

"This is the first time this has been explored," Cronin said. "It’s difficult being a teenager today, and we wanted a documentary based on the student’s point of view of how a strong faith impacts important decisions, and how a religious school and home environment alter the way they see their world and their responsibility in it."

Although several shows have been set in American high schools, "what is interesting about this one is that the students deal with all the trials, tribulations and stresses of being a teenager in high school under the umbrella of the Catholic Church," Watkin said. "They have all kinds of questions about who they are, what their parents have taught them, what the Catholic Church has taught them and what they have learned from their teachers. The process has been really fascinating, watching the students confront these questions, and we have been blessed with dropping into classrooms, cheerleader sessions, hall conversations and literally following our instincts as we shoot."

Although the filmmakers had a schedule, they did break away if something interesting happened in front of the cameras, he added. "It has been very exciting."

This was Watkin’s first film in a Catholic setting and he was surprised at how open teachers and students were in discussing sensitive topics and how seriously the students applied themselves to everything, he said.

"The standard of excellence is way above anything I’ve seen in America," he said. "Let’s put it this way – I’m not a Catholic, and I don’t live in Utah, but if I did, I’d put my kids in this school."

From the original 90 students who were interviewed, a number were selected to be followed more closely for the film in their daily life at school and with friends and family.

The interviews cover a wide range of subjects. "We talk about faith, their relationship with God, coping with tragedy, the pressures of school, relationships with friends, romantic relationships, conforming and rebelling and a wide area of subjects that impact the way they are living their lives," Watkin said.

The school’s emphasis on the whole person and being able to pray and talk about God are issues that can’t be addressed in the public realm, said Dr. Brian Manternach, Juan Diego director of choral and vocal activities and theology teacher, who was interviewed for the documentary. "Certainly, they are not necessary to the educational experience, but we want the students to be informed about religion and curious about faith and matters of spirituality," he said.

Ashley Ramos, a junior chosen to participate in the documentary, said having a camera and lights on her was a little unnatural. "I knew I was being filmed so I said and did things that I wouldn’t normally do," she said, adding that being filmed during an audition for a musical put more pressure on her. However, "Overall, the experience was fine," she said.