To Write Love

Director: Owen Dubeck
Documentary Short
USA | 21 min

In February 2006, 19-year-old Renee Yohe was at the edge of death. With drugs in her system and a self-inflicted wound on her arm, she was denied entrance into a Florida rehab facility. Her friends spent five days looking after her while she detoxed, and eventually decided to write about the experience in a MySpace post.

At a time when it was taboo to talk about self-harm, the writing found its way around the world, reaching millions who had no other outlet to express how they were feeling. Powered largely by the punk rock scene, and then the music scene at large, the story would grow beyond anyone’s wildest expectations into a global movement that helped save thousands of people’s lives.

Screens in Shorts Program: Celebrate the Night