DVD Review: Matt Shepard Is A Friend Of Mine

I think most people are aware of the story of Matthew Shepard’s death, that horrible hate crime that truly did shock and anger the country in 1998, but few of us know that much about his life. His friend, filmmaker Michele Josue, in her documentary Matt Shepard Is A Friend Of Mine, changes that. Much of the film is a celebration of his life, with interviews with his parents and many of his friends. This project is in part a personal portrait of friendship, with Michele Josue including herself in the film. It opens with her introducing herself: “My name is Michele Josue, and Matt Shepard was a friend of mine.” She continues: “Even though so much time has passed since Matt died, it’s still painful when I think of my friend. I feel guilt for not being there, confusion about what happened, and anger about what they did to him. I miss my friend, and I’m not ready to let him go. And that’s why I’m making this film.”

Josue then steps back and allows other friends and family to help paint the portrait of this young man. And there are some sweet anecdotes, like that when he was little he’d write poems and leave them in neighbors’ mailboxes (as well some pretty rocks after learning it was illegal to leave mail without postage stamps). Judy Shepard tells us that she began to suspect her son might be gay when he was approximately eight years old, as he loved to dress as Dolly Parton for Halloween. In addition to the interviews, the film includes old photos, letters, journals, and even some home footage shot by his younger brother when they were kids.

Interestingly, his family moved to Saudi Arabia and Matthew went to a boarding school in Switzerland. It was there that the film’s director met him. The two acted together in plays, where they both felt more comfortable. Another friend from that school tells of an awful incident on a school trip in Morocco, where Matthew was robbed and raped. “He wasn’t the same person after,” she tells us. And his mother agrees, “He never really recovered from the attack… He even adopted the posture of a victim.”

Approximately halfway through the film we get to the night of the attack, which is presented in some detail, with interviews with Matt Galloway (the bartender at Fireside, the bar where Matthew met the two men who would murder him), Rob Debree (the Undersheriff), and Reggie Fluty (the Sheriff’s deputy). But what is most heartbreaking is watching Matthew’s parents recount going into the hospital room where he lay comatose. There is also some footage of those insane bigots who protest at funerals.

One of the most interesting interviews is with Father Roger Schmit, who tells Michele (and us): “Maybe his friends, their most important mission is to remind the world to be angry at that. We must not ever heal from that.” Yes, Michele returns to being in front of the camera toward the end, dealing with her own pain. But while this film can be heartbreaking, it’s ultimately heart-warming, with information on the Matthew Shepard Foundation and about hate crime legislation. (By the way, Matthew’s brother is not interviewed, but at the end a title card tells us he works at the Matthew Shepard Foundation.)

Matt Shepard Is A Friend Of Mine was directed by Michele Josue, and was released on DVD on November 3, 2015 through Virgil Films. The DVD contains no special features.