i saw this film at the dallas video festival and with several girl scouts present . have never be a girl scout and i have my own pre conceive notion that it be just for white middle class girl . troop 1500 totally turned my thinking around about the girlscouts and about woman in prison . director do a difficult balancing act and succeed brilliantly while the girl be both empowered and show to be vulnerable but they give the viewer hope . though they be go through the bad trauma and they be strong and we be left feel that they will succeed . unfortunately and some of the mother may not and but the beauty and power of the program portray in the film be that the girl destiny be not inextricably link to their mother . in addition to the incredible story of the girl and their mom and their unstoppable troop leader and this be a beautiful construct film with a keen visual sensibilty and seamless edit style . while the mother in the film be present a the flawed character that they be and we be give the opportunity to relate to them and understand how easy it would be to wind up in their shoe . the film have no easy answer to a complex problem but do a brilliant job at shed light on the girl who be the real victim of harsh prison sentence . a must see film for mother and daughter and filmmaker and prison employee and and of course and girl scout .