Sister Helen
Documentary (90 min.)

Sister Helen Travis, a 69 year-old (Irish-American) Benedictine sister, runs a 23-bed halfway house in the tough Mott Haven section of the South Bronx. She opened, the John Thomas Travis Center, a drug and alcohol-free haven for men who want to live drug-free. Sister Helen's past experiences hold the key to her present life: her own decades-long struggle with alcoholism and a tragic string of personal losses, including the drug and alcohol-related deaths of her two sons and her husband. These events are what push her to help others get a second chance in life. She has picked the toughest neighborhood and the most hardened men to help, at a time in life when most people her age retire.

This 90-minute verite documentary film explores Sister Helen's tragic past and how it still effects her present relationships with her men. We follow Sister Helen as she guides four men who have come to  live under her roof. She encourages them when they are doing well, or threatens them with eviction if they do not stay sober.

By the film's end, Sister Helen's deteriorating health begins to show. She suffers a cerebral hemorrhage and collapses during filming. Paramedics and police arrive at the Center. Within an hour she has three seizures and falls into a coma. She is rushed to the hospital, but never recovers.

Without Sister Helen, the fabric of the house begins to unravel and the men are now left only to rely on themselves.

Nomination, Outstanding Directorial Achievement, Directors Guild of America, 2003
Documentary Directing Award, Sundance Film Festival, 2002
Golden Hugo Award, Chicago International Film Festival, 2002
Jury Prize, Best Documentary Film, Newport Film Festival, 2002
Best Documentary Film Award, Nashville Film Festival, 2002
Best Documentary Film Award, Westchester Film Festival, 2002
Nomination, Distinguished Documentary Achievement, International Documentary Association, 2002
Cleveland Film Festival, 2002
Montreal International Film Festival, 2002