A 16-year-old inmate must learn to raise a chicken -- or lose custody of his child.


CHICKEN is used with permission from Josh Leong. Learn more at https://chickenshortfilm.com.


Shrue is a 16-year-old boy in a juvenile prison based in the Bronx. He's faced with losing custody of his child if he doesn't prove that he is mature enough for the responsibility of being a parent.

While incarcerated, he is challenged by his isolation, his fellow inmates' hostility and his own roiling emotions. But when he participates in a program that has him raising a chick, he begins to truly understand what it means to be a father.

Directed and written by Josh Leong, this powerful short drama is a piercing and poignant portrait of a young man confronting what it means to be a father in the most challenging of circumstances, as well as a somberly hopeful note of encouragement that we can always grow and change, even at our lowest points.

The storytelling is pared-down and almost minimal, rendered in quiet pacing, moody shadows and thoughtfully composed framings. These all emphasize Shrue's internal, subjective journey, where he's plagued with doubt, insecurity and fear for his future. He's almost paralyzed by his feelings, lashing out and struggling with past traumas. He hangs out on the margins of many scenes, uncertain of himself. Even in an activity that has the young men raising baby chicks, he holds himself back, not believing in himself even as he's fascinated by the frankly adorable animals.

But he has some allies, including a kind, empathetic development specialist who works with the young men and encourages Shrue to believe he is not a hopeless cause trapped in a bad cycle for life. Actor Jordan C. Biggs deftly captures a young person who is confused, alone and vulnerable, but can react explosively when scared. In many ways, his manner hints at the struggling boy within him, but also the defensive world-weariness of someone who isn't sure of what it means to be a man and a father. But when he confronts and grieves the legacy of growing up without a steady father figure, he begins to understand what it means to be a dad -- and that he has it within himself to break a cycle and be a good parent.

Inspired by true stories from the director's time volunteering in juvenile centers, CHICKEN is partially based on a real-life gentling activity offered in detention centers by programs like Sprout By Design, where incarcerated youth raise baby chickens and learn responsibility. The film is honest about the hopelessness that many of these young people grapple with, believing that their tumultuous family backgrounds and home lives doom them to repeating the actions of their flawed fathers, leaving them little hope of breaking the cycle. But the story's graceful, delicate ending shows that it is possible to believe in change for the better, starting with small decisions or actions that build upon one another, building up to the self-belief, quiet strength and embrace of responsibility that being a father requires.