Searching for Angela Shelton

Searching for Angela Shelton is the best documentary I have seen to date regarding the pandemic of sexual abuse and the effects it has on women. Ignoring all racial, ethnic, economic and cultural boundaries; this movie not only portrays survivors in America but around the world today. It is a "must see" for both survivors and non-survivors alike to give a much needed awareness to such a boundless problem around the globe. I believe that this movie is key in stopping the cycle of abuse and allowing for survivors to take back their light. Amazing! Thank you for this movie and everything that it will continue to give back to the world. Together, we CAN stop the cycle of abuse. You are not alone.

Filmmaker Angela Shelton turns the camera on herself as she searches to find what others with the same name experience in different parts of the country. What she finds, seemingly by accident, is that more than half of the Angela Sheltons she meets have been raped, beaten, or molested. This is representative of the 1 in 3 women in the USA who will experience violence in her lifetime. I am the author of a book on the same topic (Beyond the Tears: A True Survivor's Story) so I can testify to the courage and commitment it took for Angela Shelton to bring these dark secrets to light. Anyone viewing this film, whether or not they have been abused, will experience insight, enlightenment, and inspiration. Bravo to Angela Shelton for opening lines of communication with this excellent documentary!

Everyone should make the time for this movie. You will not regret it. Angela has captured the unfortunate truth of abuse but also shows that we can all triumph and win the fight against abuse if we pull together. You will be determined to start your journey from victim to survivor after you see this movie.It is a movie that you will not want to watch just once. Every time you see it, you get a little more out of it. It is almost like a little dose of therapy because you feel a little better after watching it each time. You realize that you are not alone and even if you cry, you will laugh just as much. Thanks to Angela for speaking up, shedding some light and giving us hope for our future.

I believe sexual abuse/any abuse is a serious matter and I am very sympathetic for anyone who has suffered from abuse. However, this film is not about other Angela Sheltons in the country, it is about the filmmaker Angela Shelton and her suffering. She uses other women to support her own suffering and to justify her pain which is extremely narcissistic, as this discredits all of the other Angela Shelton stories. The filmmaker constantly cuts other women off in the middle of their sentences in order to "one up" their stories. The documentary is very choppy and hard to follow-she throws in photos of herself in dramatic poses, sometimes even sexualizing herself (very ironic considering the point of the film). When Angela meets women in the South with very southern accents, she changes her accent dramatically--when she speaks to the camera about herself, she has no accent whatsoever, what's up with that? The women who she interviews have some great words and advice to give, but it seems to constantly be discredited. There was one point in the film where one of the Angela Sheltons tells the filmmaker that she'd given her the best day of her life and changed it in a very significant way, the filmmaker explains that her words were nice, but she wanted HER life changed... I was really irritated with the filmmaker Angela Shelton. She seemed very inconsiderate and did not know how to produce a film.

I first saw a 48 Hours show discussing the making of this documentary and immediately went online to find out more about Angela Shelton. I bought the DVD just a few months after it was released and it took some time to decide I was able to watch it (because I am a survivor too.) When I did finally watch it . . . I found it to be inspiring and not at all depressing. It's important for all men and women to see this documentary to see what our society keeps taboo. It doesn't help at all to keep quiet about abuse of any kind, it just continues the cycle.

Please see it and buy a copy and give it to your local library if you can.

Peace and love to all.