Mother & Son Circumnavigate the Globe for Human Rights Film

A mother and son travel to 14 countries, 45,000 miles and inspire 2000 volunteers to help create a music video to teach kids human rights. The video, "UNITED" was launched inside the United Nations, and recieved numerous awards from Los Angeles City officials including Mayor James K. Hahn.

If you knew children on the other side of the world suffered because they didnt know their human rights, what would you do?

Two Los Angeles residents traveled 45,000 miles through 14 countries to teach kids human rights. Why would anybody do that? The son was only 19 years old at the time; and wouldnt most teenagers prefer to spend their time planning their weekend parties?

Not this one.

Taron Lexton is an Eagle Scout, a graduate of the Los Angeles Film School, and within months will have an associate degree from the Los Angeles City College. Having traveled to 35 different countries, circumnavigating the globe, he just spent the last 8 months of his life directing and filming the music video, UNITED," which features cameo performances by Isaac Hayes, Jenna Elfman, Erika Christensen, Catherine Bell, and Lynsey Bartilson.

The concept began when, after graduating from LAFS, Lexton asked his mother, Mary Shuttleworth, what he could do for her in return for putting him through film school. As the founder and principal of Marys Schoolhouse and Shuttleworth Academy, both private schools operated by Shuttleworth Leadership Society Int., as well as the Director of Youth for Human Rights Int. she could have asked for a lot of things. But her passion for human rights education was strongest. Lexton conceived of a simple story that could be put to film, to help Shuttleworth achieve her dream.

One of her requirements however, was that the film by truly international in scope. Lexton, ever a world traveler, happily accepted. Thus the Youth for Human Rights Int. World Educational Tour was born. In coordination with the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International, the mother and son team left Los Angeles together, and set out to meet educators, political leaders, religious dignitaries, and thousands of children around the world, and introduce them to their human rights through the use of a simple booklet, What are Human Rights?" This booklet breaks down the ultra formal text of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights into a language that a 4th grade child can understand, and has been translated into more than 20 languages. All along the way, Lexton documented the 35-day marathon tour.

And a marathon it was. They narrowly escaped from bombings due to civil unrest in Nepal, and in India Lexton had to fend off a particularly vicious monkeys attack of his camera. Not to mention, all the while, Lexton carried his Panasonic DVX100-A camera and all its peripheral equipment on his back -- each day getting heavier as the number of master tapes accumulated.

During this trip, Lexton and Shuttleworth had such a tight itinerary, with the flights scheduled back to back from one country to the next. Sometimes, the map was deceiving, and what looked like a short flight as the eagle flies turned out to include as many as five connections and thousands of extra miles of flying from one country, to another, and then in a roundabout way, they could get to their destination -- only to do the reverse just to get back out again. And with some smaller countries only having one flight per day, or even per week, it was imperative that they stay on schedule.

But that did not deter Lexton, his vision was clear and he knew what he wanted. Daily he shot footage for the music video that would tie the story together, and yet be iconic of each country. He scouted a new location, cast his talent, and shot every day. In addition to this, he captured the traditional footage required by the documenting of such a journey. But at the onset of the journey, there was as yet no song -- it still had to be written!

When the two returned to Los Angeles, they were joined by independent producer, Leslie Brown, who came on board to produce the Los Angeles portion of the music video. With so much international footage already captured, it was now necessary to create the rest of the story around that footage to make it work. And it was time to produce a song. Award winning composer, Geoff Levin agreed to collaborate on the music and pull together the necessary artists. Levin had a pre-determined R&B rhythm to work with, which was crucial to the final video. So Levin contacted Hiroko Hayata and Chris Thomas, who recorded a rough first draft with Florida based rap artist, Charles Gee, who wrote the music with Thomas. Silverlake resident, Lai Lai, was also brought into the studio and wrote her rap to add to the mix. The final music was produced by Hayata and Thomas.

The production took 26 days of shooting, at more than 15 locations throughout Los Angeles, involving more than 250 local residents, who volunteered or donated their time and/or goods to make this video possible.
The project was initially released on August 24, 2004 at the United Nations as part of the YHRI International Youth Summit in New York City in celebration of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, where 20 youth delegates from around the world spoke out about human rights issues.
The music video premiers at a private awards ceremony in Hollywood, where TXL Films, SLSI and Youth for Human Rights Int. will receive certificates from Mayor James K. Hahn of the City of Los Angeles.
The video is being made available for mass distribution on television networks around the world, including Nickelodeon, BET and VH1.
Lexton, founder of TXL Films, previously wrote and directed Jakes Box" and Room 27," winner of the LAFS Film Festival Audience Award, and currently circulating film festivals.
For additional information or for copies of the music video, contact Leslie Brown at TXL Films (323) 663-3898. For downloadable copies of the booklet, What are Human Rights?" visit www.youthforhumanrights.org.