Threats to American Parental Rights Brought to Light by 18-year-old Director's Eye-Opening Documentary

To date, over 500 venues across the U.S. will premiere "The Child: America's Battle for the Next Generation."

SMITHFIELD, Va., Dec. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For Virginia resident Grace Tate, 18, and her crew at Watchman Cinema (LLC), filming their first full-length documentary eliminated any preconceived notions about the glamour of filmmaking. Working in the rain, checking into hotels at one or two in the morning, and waking up at 5:30-6:00 a.m. became regular occurrences for the crew working on The Child this past year.

Grace's team—hailing from Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina—brought together a group of talented young people including her brother Daniel Tate (16) and friends Daniel Heffington (20), Elissa Kruse (18), Ray Ma (17), Alaina Wright (18), Justin Wright (17), Timothy Wright (15) and the guidance of Grace's parents, Larry and Gina Tate.

The documentary delves into the parental rights issue by examining its history in the United States, the direction of parental rights today, and how international threats, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, affect current legal practice. The film's interviews feature numerous legal experts, congressmen, and families affected directly by the current ambiguous legal state of parental rights.

"After learning so much about the parental rights issue, our next big hurdle was explaining the issue to others," Grace explains. "We began to wonder why there wasn't a film about the situation surrounding parental rights, and questioning turned into serious thought."

Larry and Gina Tate first approached their eldest daughter, Grace, with the idea of directing the documentary. Mr. Tate served as the producer and head consultant on the project, having the final word for all business, logistical, and content matters. Gina Tate was, as Grace Tate says, "the natural mother of the project," officially serving as the production coordinator.

"A lot of prayer went into deciding to finally make the film ourselves," Grace says. "We had the adventure of a lifetime, especially because it really stretched us."

ParentalRights.org, the 501(c)4 organization that inspired the documentary, is dedicated to passing a Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and believe that The Child is the perfect tool for spreading the word about the plight of parental rights in America..

"The facts are simple: parental rights have been under attack for years both internationally and domestically," says Michael Farris, president and founder of ParentalRights.org. "There are people who think that they know better how to raise your children than you do, and they want the power to do so."

Grace first became involved in the parental rights issue as a member of Generation Joshua, a Christian teen civics organization. ParentalRights.org held a video commercial contest in the fall of 2009, which Grace's Generation Joshua club entered and won.

Before her work on The Child, Tate's previous filmmaking experience consisted of a wedding video and the ParentalRights.org short film. "I guess young people are generally prone to crazy ideas," Grace says. "We had the energy and passion and, most importantly, the time to make the film happen."

The Child will be available for purchase on February 13, 2011, and pre-release copies are available for premiere hosts. For more information, visit www.parentalrights.org/TheChild.  

CONTACT: ParentalRights.org media office, 540-645-9475, [email protected]

SOURCE ParentalRights.org