Watch Alien Boy: The Life & Death of James Chasse

Alien Boy: The Life & Death of James Chasse is a powerful and emotional documentary film that sheds light on the tragic story of a young man who was killed by police officers in Portland, Oregon, in 2006. The film tells the story of James Chasse, a 42-year-old artist and musician who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia at an early age, and struggled with mental illness throughout his life.

The movie opens with a series of interviews with James Chasse's family members, friends, and caregivers, who describe his early years as a gifted child with a passion for drawing and music. However, as he grew older, his mental health began to deteriorate, and he began to withdraw from society. He was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia, and spent years in and out of mental health facilities, trying to find the right treatment for his illness.

As the film progresses, it becomes clear that James Chasse's story is not just one of personal struggle, but also of a larger social issue - the mistreatment of people with mental illness by law enforcement. On September 17, 2006, James was walking through a park in downtown Portland when he was confronted by three police officers who suspected him of drug use. The officers tackled James to the ground, and proceeded to beat and taser him repeatedly, all while he begged for mercy and cried out for his mother.

Through a combination of archival footage, interviews with witnesses, and audio recordings from the police officers themselves, the film reconstructs the events leading up to James Chasse's death, and exposes the systemic failures that made it possible. In particular, the film highlights the lack of training and resources available to police officers dealing with mentally ill suspects, as well as the tendency for law enforcement to view people with mental illness as inherently dangerous and unpredictable.

Throughout the movie, the filmmakers never lose sight of James Chasse as a person, rather than just a victim. The movie includes scenes from James's own art and music, as well as raw, emotional interviews with his family members, who speak candidly about their grief and anger over his death. By humanizing James in this way, the film makes his loss all the more tragic, and highlights the need for better understanding and support for people with mental illness.

Overall, Alien Boy: The Life & Death of James Chasse is a heart-wrenching and thought-provoking documentary that grapples with difficult questions regarding mental health, law enforcement, and the value of human life. It is a testament to the power of documentary film to shed light on important social issues, and to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of tragedy.

Alien Boy: The Life & Death of James Chasse is a 2013 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 30 minutes.