Unity. Community. Our gener-ation is at risk. Save yourself, save us, save Bermuda: stop youth violence.

The message is stark, the urgency is immediate, and the voice crying in the wilderness is very young, but Ri-Ann Pully believes that what she has to say should be heard by everyone living in Bermuda.

The 15-year-old Somersfield Academy student has created a 40-minute documentary entitled "Dangerous Minds" as her personal project, a part of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. This is defined by the IB as "a significant body of work produced over an extended period; a product of the student's own initiative; a truly creative piece of work of their own choice."

Assigned the project in June, Ri-Ann has spent the last five months researching, interviewing and producing the film using iMovie on her Mac. She chose the theme of youth violence because, "I think that violence is a big problem in Bermuda. Bermuda is so small it shouldn't have violence. There are so many students close to each other; Bermuda is so beautiful that people should recognise the beauty and celebrate why they're here," she declared.

She investigated the increase in violent crime since 2001, starting with the killing of Bermuda College student Shundae Jones, and ending with the tragic killing of Kellon Hill, who "was so innocent and they murdered him for a gold chain."

She posed several questions including what do you think about the growing problem of youth violence; how do you think the violence started; how has bullying in schools led to youth violence [in the wider community]; what have the police done about the problem and what can we do about youth violence. She interviewed students ranging from primary to high school in public and private sectors, shop owners on Court Street, certified gang specialist Calnika Roser, a former police officer and a school teacher in one of the public high schools.

"This has been the hardest thing I've ever done," Ri-Ann declared. "It's just a huge topic. It's taken a lot of my time, but it's been worth it. I want it to go out to Bermuda because this has got to be fixed immediately."

In addition to the stark statistics, some of the revelations of the documentary are that there is far more violence in schools than many care to admit, with running feuds between rival high schools, bullying involving nascent gangs within a school at lunchtimes, and after school confrontations.

Some of the causes suggested included restricted social interaction, lack of awareness of positive activities and boredom. But though the problem is pressing, Ri-Ann suggested it is not insurmountable. Building trust, self-esteem and a sense of community is key.

Greater parental supervision, more clear guidelines of acceptable behaviour, more positive after-school activities and more encouragement of youth participation in those activities are all ways the wider adult community can help. Specific programmes like Youth in Touch and the Mirrors Programmes were cited as solutions.

Interviewing the families of victims "was a really big part of the documentary," she noted, the interview with Mr. Daniel Hill, Kellon's father, being particularly moving. She felt it was important to interview the families, as those who got hurt or died were not the only victims of youth violence.

This is not the first documentary Ri-Ann has made. Her first, while she was attending Warwick Academy, was made three years ago. Her second, while at Somersfield Academy, was entitled "Who Am I?" and explored her family roots and ties in the wider community.

She made extensive used of iMovie, but recently bought Final Cut Pro with financial assistance from her parents. She made a storyboard, and for one scene wrote a script for a re-enactment of a bullying incident which was performed by her friends. Though she wrote out a script, "they adlibbed a lot" she recalled.

The documentary will be aired at Somersfield Academy tomorrow along with presentations by the other eight M5 students. The presentations will be made between 10am and 12.45pm. For further information contact the school office 236-9797.