Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)– As if you need yet another reason to feel good about living in Park Forest, Robert Ruiz, a senior at Rich East High School, offers this award-winning video for your consideration. The 4:47 feature was the winner of the Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ documentary film contest in spring semester of 2010.
Robert made the video when he was a junior at Rich East. According to notes at the Steppenwolf YouTube page, "Students who attended Steppenwolf for Young Adults production of The House on Mango Street were asked to create a documentary film in response to the following prompt: What is special about your neighborhood? In Sandra Cisneros book, The House on Mango Street
Using a thoughtful tone, Robert narrates a tour of Park Forest and interviews some Park Foresters.
Robert says he takes AP courses and wants to go to film school for college.
"I decided to make the documentary because I wanted to do something other then funny improvs that me and my friends did," Robert says. "The contest specified to make the documentary based off of Sandra Cisneros’ novel The House on Mango Street
"The suburban like houses that look so still yet so modest," he continues. "One of my greatest shots, in my opinion, was of the firehouse’s American flag. It os so monumental and inspirational. I like Park Forest because it’s simple. There’s not a lot of busy streets, except Sauk Trail, and it just has a ‘home-y’ sort of feel to it. One which I tried to emphasize in my film."
eNews Park Forest congratulates this young filmmaker, and wishes him well in his future.
Robert Ruiz on YouTube.
