| Jaynelle |
Jaynelle: It’s Never Easy To Escape The Past is a rare look inside the life and struggles of a determined young aboriginal woman. Jaynelle Kennedy is a single mother on social assistance living in Winnipeg.
She dreams of finishing school and building a good future for herself and her two young children. Instead, she faces a reality haunted by the ghosts of childhood abuse and the inadequacy of a social system that does more to defeat her than help her.
Rajotte followed the life of Jaynelle with her camera for a two-year period. It’s a moving story of what many young aboriginal people face when they’re up against the system.
As Jaynelle told Coleen after she was viciously assaulted on the streets of Winnipeg, “You can knock me down but I will get back up and I mean that in so many different ways”.
Order DVDs!It's here! The DVD of Jaynelle: It's Never Easy to Escape the Past can be yours for only $29.99 (includes shipping and GST). Please send cheque or money order (and your shipping address) to:
Rajotte Productions
676 Portage Avenue
PO Box 26127 RPO Maryland
Winnipeg, MB R3G 3R3
August 2004 Update from Jaynelle!Hey what's up? For all those that are curious about me, I'm 100 percent clean for 13 months. I am back at home with my family.
My children are 8 and 6 now -- they are both happy that I have returned. I am returning to school as well, for a few months, and going to start part-time work with a treatment center. I look forward to the future, and I don't dwell on the past. Through all the hardships I've experienced I only feel grateful.
Here is a bit of what the last year was like for me...
I am an alcoholic and drug addict. I finally accepted the facts as they are, although it took some major events to pry my eyes open. I did things to please the courts like go to Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, but the wait was three months to get some kind of appointment, I got discouraged... and never made an appointment.
I finally committed some crimes and ta da... I'm sober. I'm not suggesting to do the same, what I'm saying is... I didn't listen, I was told, "What could happen" and I chose to nod my head and carry on with my life.
When I was sitting at the PSB (public safety building) I knew it was over. In some ways I was greatly relieved and I was uncertain about my new lifestyle as an inmate in jail. There is no mystery on how I ended up incarcerated. The past + alcohol = jail.
I eventually went to treatment and I have gained a lot of insight into addicted behavior, attitude and my wonderful psychic abilities (kidding)... more like my negative mind set.
Once my time was up I moved home. I've had some major emotional ups and downs. I expected that and my major feeling is guilt.
I'm now facing my fears and feelings of inadequacy by staying home, staying sober and talking about my feelings.
I would like to thank all these special people who prayed for me.
Sincerely,
Jaynelle K
Thanks to everyone who wrote over the years enquiring about Jaynelle. I saw Jaynelle a few days ago and she's doing great. Jaynelle and I still go out and speak to community groups about the first documentary. We are working on the sequel and we joke that we will still be following Jaynelle when I am old and grey... or should I say older and greyer. We'll keep you posted on how it's going!
If anyone wants to write to Jaynelle: Please send email to our address and we will pass it on to her.