Dee Contreras

Elizabeth “Dee” Contreras first became interested in film in her sophomore year at Widefield High School in Colorado Springs. Dabbling in photography and showing great potential, her teacher and peers encouraged her to apply to the Youth Documentary Academy in 2016. Dee came to YDA committed to addressing issues around bullying, something with which she has had first hand experience since coming out as gay in early middle school. What transpired was BREAKING SILENCE, a deeply personal film about attempted suicide and the costs LGBT teens continue to endure, despite increased legal protections for LGBT people. Dee provides an unvarnished account of how silence in the face of bullying can lead to deep self harm and she hopes breaking the silence of her own story will prevent other teens from turning against themselves. Today, Dee looks forward to graduating from PIMA and continuing with film and photography in her spare time. Dee is thankful for the opportunity to make this film saying, “YDA has made a big impact on my future by helping me to connect with youth groups and older generations, bringing awareness about uncomfortable topics such as suicide,depression, the LGBT community and domestic violence in relationships.”