Film: The Tragic Murder Of Matt Shepard

Most Americans remember the tragic murder of Matt Shepard in 1998; however, many would not be able to tell you about Matt Shepard as a person, only from beliefs ripped from the headlines. This documentary discusses Matt Shepard’s life, making him a person and not just a figure in the headlines. The documentary starts off with home videos of Shepard when he was a boy, they show a geeky, young, outgoing child who had a love for theatre and performing. During Shepard's adolescence his father acquired a job in Saudi Arabia causing the family to move to Saudi Arabia, and thus Matt was sent to boarding school in Switzerland. As the documentary moves on and discusses Shepard's teenage years one discovers his murder was not the only misfortune in his life, on an abroad school trip to Morocco Shepard was attacked by a gang of 6 men and raped. Shepard never told anyone beside his closest friend and up until his death he suffered from being a victim of rape, becoming more meek and walking with a slight hunch. The documentary continues by Shepard coming back to the United States in order to go to college in Wyoming. However, Shepard would never graduate college, for he would be brutally murdered for being gay. Shepard was originally targeted by the two men who killed him because they …show more content…
The documentary brought a sense of humanity to Matt Shepard putting a personality to a figure from the headlines. This documentary showcases that figures from the headlines are actual people who had families and friends who will forever be affected by their death. Personally, I found the documentary to be very emotional due to the sorrow heard in the voices of Shepard’s family and friends when discussing his life and legacy. Likewise I find it shocking that almost twenty years after Shepard's death men and women are still be murdered and abused due to their sexuality and gender, specifically trans-men and