Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine

This is not exactly on topic since it doesn't have anything to do with theatre, but Michele Josue, a friend of Matthew Shepard, is raising money to do a documentary about him.

Here is Michele's description of the project.

In 1998, my friend Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, beaten, and tied to a fence on a Wyoming prairie and left to die because he was gay. His tragic murder made countless headlines around the world and Matthew Shepard soon became a hugely public symbol, undoubtedly important, whose story resounded in the hearts of many. But to me, Matt was a dear friend.

This past fall, I have begun work on a feature-length documentary about the Matthew behind those headlines. Through the honest and intimate recollections of his family and those, like myself, who were personally affected by his death, our film seeks to tell the story of the Matthew the world hardly knows and to make sense out of a senseless tragedy.

This past October, we shot extensively in Denver and Wyoming with very limited resources. During this time, we interviewed many amazing people who gave us incredible insight into Matt’s death and his all-too-brief life. Overall, it was a humbling and inspiring experience.

I feel it's so important, especially in this day and age, to share with the world the story of our Matt, as not just a symbol, but as a real person who had the love and respect of his family and his many friends. To be honest, this is a film I've been waiting years to make, and I am honored to have the opportunity to make it now.

You can find out more and invest in the film at Michele's Kickstarter page.