Whitewash
Whitewash
| 16 August 1994 (USA)

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When Helene Angel walks home from school with her older brother she is attacked by a street gang and painted white. The effect on Helene and her family is devastating. Helene locks herself in her room, her brother blames himself for not having successfully defended his sister, and the media descends on their neighborhood, completely disrupting her small family. But an outpouring of love and understanding from Helene's friends, classmates and family helps her face what has happened and draws the community together. Inspired by actual events, WHITEWASH conveys a powerful message that transcends age and race, told in an entertaining way perfect for children of all ages.

Reviews
BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment
DipitySkillful an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.
Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.
Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
msfilmmaker This film chronicles the story of two young Black kids being raised by their grandmother in the Bronx. One day, on the way home from school, the children are assaulted by a racist White gang. The gang members hurl shockingly brutal racial epithets and the startling confrontation is culminated when the young boy is beat up and the girl is sprayed white. The film continues by showing how the community responds - the media, the classroom, the family itself. My initial response to the film was horror - I was watching it with my 8-year-old daughter and was extremely surprised at the coarse language. Yet, it is very real and I was pleased at the conversation that we were able to have afterward. My daughter told me that she felt the theme of the film was "being strong". I highly recommend the film, but the viewers must be braced for the powerful reaction younger audiences may have.