PBS P.O.V.: Love and Diane
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin
Portrayed in the film and Filmmaker
Thursday, April 22, 2004; 1:00 p.m ET
"Love & Diane" is a real-life drama of a mother and daughter desperate for love and forgiveness, but caught in a cycle of cocaine addiction and the foster care system. Shot over ten years, the film centers on Diane Hazzard, a young mother, who like her peers, succumbed to addiction in the inner city. Her parenting suffered and her children were sent to the child-welfare system after her daughter, Love, told a teacher that she and her five siblings were often left home alone and hungry. The film portrays the struggle of the family after being reunited and trying to reconnect. The film explores issues of abandonment, hurt and shame that haunts the mother and daughter to this day -- and which, most chillingly, threatens Love's relationship with her own son.
Diane Hazzard, who was portrayed in the film and filmmaker Jennifer Dworkin will be online Thursday, April 22 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the documentary.
Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.
After years of struggle with addiction, welfare and with the strains of
single parenthood, Hazzard has dramatically changed her life in her forties. For the last four years she has worked for SafeSpace, a youth services organization, and has been promoted several times. She speaks to women across the country sharing her story and encouraging others to take control of their lives. She hopes to return to school and obtaining a degree in counseling.
"Love & Diane" is Dworkin’s first film. She is the recipient of several research fellowships and was awarded the 1997 Fellowship for Excellence in Research and Academic Promise in the Cognitive Sciences from Cornell University. Dworkin has known some members of the family portrayed in Love & Diane since 1989, when she taught photography workshops for children in New York City’s Tier II shelter system. These workshops grew into a program teaching kids still photography and filmmaking with Super 8 cameras. She has worked extensively as a volunteer and group leader for several children’s charities.
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over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: Hi everybody and thank you so much for watching Love and Diane and I hope you found it a valuable experience and we look forward to answering your questions. It's really exciting for us that people across America are seeing the film and all of us put many years of work into this.
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Vamoosa, Okla.:
I have a two-part question. First, Jennifer, what made you decide to focus your film on this particular family and without knowing before hand what was going to take place, what did you expect to happen? Second, Diane, What made you decide to trust Jennifer and allow her cameras to be ever-present in the lives of youe family for such a long amount of time?
This was a wonderful documentary and Diane, you are a beautiful person. Thank you and peace be with you.
Stacey
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: Jennifer: I focused on this family because I already knew and was very connected with other members of Diane's family through other volunteer programs. I picked Diane because she is such a strong person and so articulate and intelligent. Also their lives are represented of a lot of women and the story is important. I believed that Diane had great potential but I never expected her to turn her life around as much as she did. I was committed to following the story whatever would have happened and I didn't expect Donyaeh to be removed.
Diane: I didn't know Jennifer from Adam or Eve but I took a chance and opened up my home and my heart and tried to keep it as real as possible. I didn't expect it to go this far or go this deep to get all the responses that I am getting today. I took the chance to do the documentary and let other women and men to know that they are not alone and even if you are dealt a bad hand, you can still work things out within yourself and your family.
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Oklahoma City, Okla.:
I am a social worker for child protective services in Oklahoma City and investigate allegations of abuse and neglect of children. Watching this documentary really touched my heart to see the "real" people who are affected by my job every day. Diane, in your experience when your children were removed from you, what advice could you give me as a social worker to help other familes like yours when they are possibly at their lowest? Did you have a negative experience with your social workers and what could they have done for you and your children to make things better? Thank you both for making this film. -Becky Roberson
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: Diane: Let the parents have one on one counseling with their children before they go home. It's very important for the fact that the kids don't they run into a lot of anger and animosity and the parents and kids need a space to talk. The social workers did not give me that opportunity so my kids were bitter, angry and had a lot of resentment when they came back home to me.
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Houston, Tex.:
Diane,I can relate to the long struggle you had, trying to keep your family together. You should be proud of yourself. I wish you continued success, in staying clean and sober.
Although I didn't have an addiction, I did go through the court system, trying to get my children back. I grew up in a foster home and it ssemed as though life was repeating itself, with my children.
My oldest daughter (25) has the same attitude, your daughter Love had. Always blaming others for everything that goes wrong in her life.
I also did the same thing you did. I contacted Family services asking for help. My daughter was 14, and had a baby. I was a single parent with 2 children and about to have another baby. I thought they would help me. My sister had passed in 1995, my brother was murdered in 1974 and my mother passed in 1990. I felt all alone. Sometimes I still do.
My question: Did you ever feel like giving up? What kept you going?
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: D: Bless your heart! Yes, there have been plenty of times I felt giving up. I kept praying the Serenity prayer ("God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change; the courage to change the things that I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen") and it helped me to keep going and to fight the negative feelings in me to not want to give up. I talked to a lot positive people inside and outside of the family and I went to therapy at a mental health clinic and I was on medication for a brief time for depression; I went to church and reached out to community centers and network. You need to keep going to people that will listen to you and understand what you are going through. NEVER GIVE UP! You have to fight!
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Deming, N.M.:
Were other people followed during the ten years this film was shot? Did you decide to focus on one person, or who is always the intent that Ms. Hazzard would be the focus of this film?
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: J: I started following many more people. My first idea at the start was to film four families and then I narrowed it down to Diane's family and her many relatives: her nieces, nephew, brother.. but as the film went on, I began to see that Love and Diane were really the center and in the editing room, I decided to really use them as the focus of the film. Otherwise, it would have been a 20-hour film.
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San Jose, CA:
How did you both meet?
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: J: I met Diane through her brother, Victor. I knew Victor and I knew Diane's sister's children because they lived in a shelter where I was doing volunteer work.
There were two reasons why I spent with Diane. The first time was with her brother and we were already filming and I went to look at the family photo album and Victor and Diane met up to show them to me. Later, Diane's niece Selena who is my goddaughter moved in with Diane after Victor became ill. Selena and I are very close and she was going to live with me upstate in the next year. And I went to visit the people in Selena's lives that she was living with and for the film, I wanted to interview Diane about Selena and Victor.
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Lancaster, Calif.:
Hi Diane, I was touched by your life story and your amazing faith for overcoming poverty and adversity. I respect you for your courage to seek a job and your honesty during your interview. Question: How do you deal with your children when they are challenged by adversity?
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: D: I try to help with the best of my ability. I always told my kids that if I didn't have the answers I would always try to go out and go beyond and above to get the answers for them -- ask somebody else. Now that they are big, I tell tell them to calm down and relax and that I would help them find the answers.
In the past, it was the same when they wanted to come home and I told them to have patience and pray and tell them that they would come home soon. I try to give them positive information so that they can make it another day without me and let them know how much I love them and care for them with no false hope.
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Bakersfield, Calif.:
I would like to know how Diane and her son are doing at this present time and if she is still with her son's father.
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: No I'm not still with my son's father. My son and I are doing well and he is now a Safe Space player in the company I work for. He does skits on peer pressure, teen pregnancy, how to approach a cop when you have done nothing wrong. We are very close.
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New Orleans, La.:
I loved the film. I would like to praise Jennifer for a film well done. today there is nothing but junk on the television and when I flipped onto your film I was truly captivated. I would like to know how's is you relationship with Love these days Diane?
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: D: Love and I are close and we stay in touch with each other and talk at least 3 or 4 times out of the week. So we are closer now than what we were in the documentary.
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Chaumont, N.Y.:
Diane,
You are brave indeed! I have been a foster mother for 16 years and your courage inspires me.
From your perspective could you give foster parents any suggestions that would help us keep birth children strongly connected to birth mothers?
Even post adoption, birth mothers are such an important part of a child's history that we try to keep connection for the children and moms. It truly does take a village to raise a child and foster families are part of that village. If you have any suggestions please share them with us.
Thank you for sharing your life.
Linda
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: D: The foster can encourage the child by telling them that the mother loves them and to understand that they do miss their mother. The best thing that foster parents can do is to give the kids encourangement and positive feedback. Never let the child feel that their mother does not want them back. Don't give them negative feedback and give them time to know their natural mother.
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Milwaukee, WI:
I would like to know how Love is doing health wise? Is Diane still working?
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: D: Love's health is good. Thank God. And I still work with Safe Space and I have been promoted twice since I've been involved in the organization. Thanks for asking!
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Altanta, Georgia:
I am a Masterlevel Social Worker/Administrator who thoroughly enjoyed the show last night. My question is how many generations back has this level of dysfunction effected their lives. I heard Diane say she was angry with her mother because she was an alcoholic. What about Diane's grandmother relationship to the Diane's mother?
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: D: My grandmother was not an alcoholic so as far as I know, it started with my mom. I didn't know the type of relationship that my mom had with her mother. When my mother was around, the little bit I did see, they got along well. My grandmother did not talk about my mother -- back in those days when I grew up, adults used a lot of discretion among adult talk. I didn't hear it and I was not in ear's distance.
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San Carlos, Arizona:
After watching the documentary, I wanted to know
what happened afterwards. Did Love stay on the
right path and raised her son? Did Diane stay off
drugs after the filming endedand stayed
employed as an Administrative Assistant?
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: J: The film ended about three years ago and Diane is still clean and working for Safe Space and Donayeh is still with his mother and will be seven next week.
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Woodridge, Illinois:
What was the group/program that Diane entered. i.e. the 'group therapy' type of setting where she gained confidence to look
for a job?
Is that a public or private entity?
Do you know it's location(s)?
Thanks,
Gerri
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: D: It was called STRIVE and it is a private organization. The funding was cut in Queens but they have one in Manhattan -- it is a national organization. The New York website is www.strivenewyork.org.
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Pembroke, Flordia:
How can I receive a copy of the Film. What a wonderful, heartful story. Not my life but close.. I now teach, That would be the perfect film to show my class.
Teresa e
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: The film is available from Women Make Movies at www.wmm.com or 212-925-0606. The discussion guides and information about the film is availabe on the PBS POV web site www.pbs.org/pov/cov2003/loveanddiane
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Simi Valley, California :
Diana,
What can I do to help women in your situation? What can I do to help? I hurt for you and I want to do something to stop this system that did not help your family properly
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: D: Become a big sister, big brother to our youths; connect with some of the schools and teens there; be a volunteer. BE A MENTOR. Also you can donate money to non profit organizations that are trying to help our youth today.
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Detroit, Michigan:
I found this extremely enlightening and found I had a great deal more empathy for minorities on public assistance than I ever had.
Will you be doing a follow up on the family? It seems Diane has triumphed in her efforts, but I am concerned about Love, her son, her HIV status, her continued rage.
I saw the Foster Mother as giving (I'm sorry, I can't spell his name) Donhay... so much love. Love doesn't seem to do this, doesn't have a "mothering instinct." Donhay seemed far more comfortable with his foster mother than with Love.
Was this your impression? I feel there is a far more negative outcome for Love, especially with her HIV status. However I must remember Diane's amazing triumph.
I can't tell you how much this brought another world to life for me. I have a far different point of view -- far less judgemental. It is easier to be an upper class white woman, and I'm ashamed to say that.
Thank you for your wonderful work!
Luck to Diane, Love, and all the children.
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: J: Love so far has remained HIV status for a long time and is in very good health. I also felt that Donayeh shared a close bond with Ms. Diaz and she was in a very stable time in her life where she was able to be a very giving and loving mother. Love has many more issues to deal with before she can really be the mother that she would like to be.
I don't plan on doing a follow-up but I do plan on doing a film that focuses on boys and men in similar situations and the kinds of issues that they face which are very different. I don't think the family would stand for being filmed anymore!
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raleigh, nc:
I notice when you first went to the training program it was summer time yet when you began it was winter, why did it take you so longer to actually begin the training program and why isn't Love in the training?
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: D: That's not true. The training program started in February and was the whole month-- a job readiness computer training. And then I got an internship for four months right after. And then I got hired through the internship.
Love had no interest at that time and she had just gotten her son back.
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Los Angeles, Calif.:
To what do you attribute your ability to survive the crack cocaine epidemic?
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: D: I went to a residential program and I had to get off the streets. I went to a self-help program to get stronger and once I came out, I was able to deal with the day to day problems and situations. I didn't do it by myself. Along with God's strength and guidance, I went through a drug rehabilitation program.
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Palmdale Ca:
I just want to commend you on the presentation on the Diane and Love story. It was a story so common to the inner city communities and yet so unique in the way things turned around for them. I was deeply moved.
Please tell Love she is a special young Woman, how many people have such a special name as Love.
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: Thank you. That's very sweet.
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New York, NY:
Diane, I saw the movie yesterday and I want to thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your life with me. I greatly admire your strength and your courage to change your life. You have done an amazing thing for yourself and your family.
I came from Poland six years ago, I was raised in the communist Poland which was so much different than the reality here in the US. Our backgrounds are so completely different but I can relate to your struggles and your pain and your recovery. I am sending you my best wishes and endless hugs.
Joanna
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: You're welcome welcome welcome and welcome and you will always be in my prayers.
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Baltimore, Maryland:
Thanks for your documentary, how can I purchase a copy? I presently work with public housing families -- the success stories are great--the losses are transgenerational; collectively we have failed in delivering the final piece necessary in assisting families to self-sufficiency/financial independence and that is recognizing, defining, convincing and mandating psychological assessments and counseling for real, life-long change. Families in these situations generally do not place a value on these subjective, intangible needs; why do you think it has taken so long to address and attend to this need? Have we lost community in the process of trying to support those who have been affected through dysfunction or disadvantaged conditions? Can we afford the price that this neglect requires?
In Baltimore...
Julian M.
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: J: That is a very insightful summary of the neglect of the importance of subjective experience and mental health issues in breaking the cycle of poverty and addiction. The short answer to have we lost community, is yes. I think that and the neglect of issues have been extremely costly. To some degree faith-based organizations addressed these needs but it needs to be a major focus. For instance, I was always amazed at the lack of concern for the mental health of children removed from their parents or caretakers and moved from place to place growing up without bonding with an adult. It's not surprising that children raised in this way will have difficulty parenting their own children.
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Silver Spring, MD:
Diane,
Have your children been able to keep a close sibling relationship? I notice some live in other states.
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: When they first came home, they were trying to get close but they had different views of life. Now, they stay constantly in touch with each other and try to meet up with each other and closer than they were back then.
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Phoenix, AZ:
Diane,
What an amazing person you are, and what an
amazing story. In hindsight, do you feel the
system helped you or failed you? Do you think it
was right for Love's son to be taken out of your
home at that time? This documentary really
touched me. Last night, I prayed for you and your
family and for all the families going through such
ordeals. God bless you.
Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: D: The first time when I was on crack and cocaine I felt that ACS helped me. They took the kids into custody while I was getting my life together at a residential rehab.
The second time when Donayeh was taken I felt that they didn't help me or that he should have been taken out of the house that time. None of the kids should have.
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Diane Hazzard and Jennifer Dworkin: J: I would like to thank everyone for sending thier questions and comments and it has been wonderful to hear how this film has impacted people. Thank you.
D: I would also like to thank each and everybody for watching the documentary and giving me back positive feedback. I pray that it would help someone els in their time of need and to always try to keep a positive attitude and never give up! God bless!
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