Green Chimneys is a heart-wrenching film about three young neglected or abused inner city boys who are given the opportunity to heal at Green Chimneys, a unique facility in Brewster, New York. The farm and school is home to over one hundred children, mostly boys between the ages of six and twenty-one. Green Chimneys' unique philosophy is that when a child is given the responsibility of caring for an animal even the most troubled child can be reached. Nurturing the animals helps the children learn to trust and love again.

The director, Constance Marks, spent one year following Eddie, Anthony and Mike, during their stay at Green Chimneys. She established an exceptional closeness with the boys who allowed the most private and painful moments of their lives to be filmed, including therapy sessions, dorm life, and a father's funeral. The children were also filmed during visits with their families, revealing the stark realities of their lives prior to Green Chimneys.

While the three boys' stories unfold, Green Chimneys also follows the efforts of the facility's social workers, psychologists and staff as they help the children deal with their emotional turmoil. Here is a powerful portrayal of how family violence and addiction wreak havoc on the young, and how nurturing adults can help reverse the impact of abuse and neglect.

"Intimate and affecting." - Janet Maslin, The New York Times
"'Green Chimneys' has the emotional richness of Hoop Dreams." - John Anderson, New York News Day
"Profoundly powerful ...hugely satisfying..." - Variety

Sundance Film Festival, 1997
First Prize, Taos Talking Picture Festival, 1997
Golden Gate Award Winner, San Francisco International Film Festival, 1997
National Women's Studies Association, 1997
American Psychological Association, 1997