"Heartbreaking and cathartic…By putting a very human face to a widespread epidemic, Block and ‘The Children Next Door’ both humanize and celebrate the children who survive horrific family tragedies." -Mike Peikert, BACKSTAGE

"THE CHILDREN NEXT DOOR" is a 2012 multiple award-winning documentary short directed by Doug Block and produced by Lynda Hansen, in association with the Childhood Domestic Violence Association to spotlight the hidden epidemic of Childhood Domestic Violence.

This 37-minute film is the story of a family's journey to overcome years of experiencing domestic violence, and one horrific incident that shaped and shattered their world. Five-and-a-half years later, Penny Waldroup, her eldest daughter Chelsea and Penny's three other young children continue to struggle with the impact. Over the course of the three months of filming, we witness an astonishing turn of events.

Now, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October, 2022), we’re relaunching "THE CHILDREN NEXT DOOR" for its 10-year anniversary and kicking off its roll-out nationwide in collaboration with cdv.org.

Please join us on Thursday, October 27 from 6 to 7:30pm for a conversation between the filmmakers, participants Penny and Chelsea Waldroup, and participant advocate Margie Ratliff ("THE STAIRCASE"** and "SUBJECT") about the responsibilities and best practices for documentary makers when filming the stories of traumatized participants. The event is free but requires advance registration.**

“'The Children Next Door' is a masterpiece – smart, tough, fearless, miraculously compact.” -David Schmader, SEATTLE’S THE STRANGER

“Doug Block’s searing short…attains a level of pathos as deep as any feature-length documentary.” -Anthony Kaufman, SUNDANCE NOW BLOG

For more about Childhood Domestic Violence, click here.