The Education of Shelby Knox: Sex, Lies & Education (Dir: Marion Lipschutz and Rose Rosenblatt, 2005)

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Running Time: 76 min

November 24, 2008 by abensim1@swarthmore.edu 76 minutes. Color. Released on June 21, 2005 on the Point of View series on PBS.Lubbock, Texas, USA. Incite Pictures.Subject headings: Christianity, activism, sex education, leadership, family relations, community, queer rights, sexuality Synopsis: Lipschutz and Rosenblatt’s documentary follows feisty fifteen-year-old Shelby Knox in her struggle for sex education in the public schools in Lubbock, Texas.  Even though her county’s high schools instruct abstinence as the only safe sex, Lubbock has some of the highest rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases in the nation.  Although Knox identifies as a devout Baptist who has taken the True Love Waits pledge to her parents and God promising to abstain from sexual relations until marriage, she takes on her parents, pastor, and peers in her unrelenting quest for a more comprehensive and informative sex education in public schools and eventually even goes on to support the gay-straight alliance.  This film demonstrates the cultural wars within a religion that advocates abstinence, and how one fiery, compassionate woman can influence social change.  Even when she takes a seat on the Lubbock Youth Commission and butts heads with her rival, town officials, and religious leaders, Knox remains consistent in her fervor.  This documentary shows the efforts of a young woman who fights for the rights of others. Further Information: Film’s official website, http://www.incite-pictures.com/shelbyknox/index.htmlWWM review, http://www.wmm.com/filmcatalog/pages/c726.shtmlNew York Times review, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/21/arts/television/21heff.html?_r=2&oref=sloginAwards:Best Cinematography, Sundance Film FestivalJury Prize, Sonoma Valley Film Festival