Faded

About the Project

Girls are getting drunk more.

According to the 2008 National Institute of Alcoholism and Addiction (NIAA) Report, alcohol use among 8th grade girls accounts for the fastest growing population of drinkers in America. The average age a girl takes her first drink has reached the all-time low of 12 years-old and for the first time in history young girls are drinking more than boys.

What is going on with girls? What insecurities, frustrations and anger are they so desperately trying to numb with alcohol?

Faded is a 60-minute documentary film profiling four girls as they battle varying degrees of binge drinking. By presenting girls from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, each story is unique. Some girls self-destruct, some rise from the ashes, and some remain in staunch denial. Raw and unflinching in its honesty, the film presents the heartbreak and struggles of young women growing up under the allure of a booze culture.

Alyssa will be the first person in her family to escape a "gangsta" lifestyle and graduate from high school. But when her father has to spend weeks in the hospital, Alyssa gets derailed. Cassidy grew up in a family of artists who were part of the San Francisco beat scene. When she takes off for college she's suddenly faced with another whole set of peer pressures very different from those in high school. Holley skates with the Rose City Rollers, a semi-pro roller skating team. Getting drunk before bouts keeps it from hurting so much when she gets slammed across the rink. When at 15, Sharon's family suddenly moves from a laid-back beach town in southern Indonesia to a gated suburb in Oregon, she's flat out pissed off. She drops out of high school and runs away from home.

Combining cinema verite, intimate interviews and footage shot by the girls themselves, Faded offers a platform for young women to express their desires, fears and insights as to why so many girls are reaching for the bottle. Their poignant stories and confessions will encourage audiences to take another look at a complex issue that's too often dismissed as a teenage rite of passage.

The Fledgling Fund Impact

The Fledgling Fund is pleased to support Faded because we believe that it will be an excellent resource for both parents and young women as they navigate the challenges of youth and peer pressure. There is a disconnect between the generational cultures of parents and youth and we believe this project will help bridge that gap and create new lines of communication.