Boys to Men

Boys to Men tells the story of 3 promising teens, striving to overcome the challenges and dangers in their environment. Reuben, Leon and Micah are members of The Manhood Academy; a community based program that provides mentorship and empowers young men who lack positive male role models.

Reuben wants to learn to be more responsible at home and to gain more confidence in the group where he is one of the youngest and smallest. Leon wants to become a chef, but knows he has to prove he is mature and responsible enough and Micah wants to prove to himself and others that he is resilient, capable and confident.

All 3 boys have very different hopes and dreams but are united by their shared experience of being without a consistent father figure in their lives.

In this film we follow their journey, both literally and metaphorically as they pack their bags and head out of London with other members of the group for a stay in a place way out of their comfort zone. For one week, they leave the familiarity of their postcodes and go back to basics during a stay in a cabin located deep inside the New Forest in Hampshire.

Through the eyes of three young members and their peers, we experience this transformative experience first hand as we watch them confronting their fears and working together as a team to overcome hurdles. The tests on the journey are taken directly from Gambian ‘Rites of Passage’ teachings and adapted to the boy’s surroundings as they work towards their final test. Mentors Davis, Rio, Aundrieux and Albert put the boys through their paces and push them to their limits physically and mentally.

By the end of the intense week, the boys will have gone to places and done things that they never imagined were possible. But as with their

daily reality in London, they will be faced with disruptions and heart-breaking news from back home that puts the challenge to better themselves and escape the negative cycle into perspective.