Valentine Road

Valentine Road tells the tragic story of how 14-year-old budding white supremacist Brandon McInerney shot and killed his openly gay and gender non-conforming classmate, Lawrence “Larry” King, after King asked him to be his Valentine.

Intrigued by a Southern Poverty Law Center article she read in 2008, filmmaker Marta Cunningham decided to investigate the shocking crime further. Her thought-provoking documentary seeks to understand both the murderer and the victim. Drawing from more than 350 hours of footage, Cunningham argues that both individuals were misunderstood and misrepresented by the media.

The film portrays Larry as a bold and curious 15-year-old who began wearing make-up and heeled boots to school shortly before his death. Set while Brandon awaits trial as an adult, the sympathetic film highlights his troubled home life, which involved violence and drug abuse.

Touching on issues of gender identity, juvenile justice, and the safety of LGBT teenagers, Valentine Road asks the question: how can we stop horrific crimes like this before they happen?