Dear Lara

Dear Lara was watched as part of the Cascadia International Women’s Film Festival 2026! It had its showing on Sunday, May 3, as part of the festival.

I am often in awe of people who can devote their whole lives to a talent or craft, and become experts in these fields. I also often wonder what my life would have been like had I decided to pursue an art at the age of 8 with an unrelenting passion to become the best at it. Would I have been somewhere? Would I be limited by where I was or the income of my family?

Plenty of programs exist like this for kids, from elementary age to older. Academies and schools that teach the basics, but also let people achieve their potential in sports or music. Unfortunately, these schools sometimes can be often lead to abuse. Not just the emotional/mental abuse of a “gruff, angry mentor” demanding perfection seen in movies (and reality), but also sexual abuse. Lara St. John, musician and director of this documentary, wants to tell her own story about what she encountered as a teenager. And also to make it clear, this is not as isolated a case as one would think.

It is a very brave thing for someone to come forward with information about being assaulted, especially when its against people who hold positions of power. And it is important to note that Lara did not just do this one time, she did it several times, as the situation was was covered up when she tried to bring it to light. And of course, bringing it up again in situations like this documentary.

The worst part is, that her story is not unique. In this documentary, Lara talks to others to tell their stories and truth, and for many of them, they also have stories of cover up and institutions ignoring/not caring. These are stressed kids, teens, and college students, who are taken advantage of by adults whom they are meant to trust, and because those adults can play an instrument really good, they are often given a pass. Even sometimes just moving locations to a new facility, to continue to work with those under their care.

And honestly, it is really sickening. But what adds to it is that it is also not shocking to hear about the cover ups. It feels par for the course now. This does not mean it is acceptable or these stories don’t matter, because every story like this matters the more spotlight we can shine on these incidents, the hopefully we get closer to eliminating them.

Dear Lara is a powerful piece dealing with a serious topic, giving voice to those who have been shutdown, and done in a way to give the survivors of these incidents hopefully their power back.

4 out of 4.