Aileen Wuornos grew up in the 1960s in Troy, Michigan, a typical American small town. However, behind the neat lawns and white clapboard exteriors was a community out of control.
An investigation into Aileen’s upbringing revealed drug-taking on a massive scale, alcoholism, truancy, a disintegration of family values, abuse and incest. Even more disturbing was that there seemed to be no social agencies operating to alleviate the problems. There was no interaction between schools and social workers – all these problems were left to the local police force. Aileen herself ended up living in the woods as a teenage prostitute after giving birth to an unwanted child and being rejected by her family and the community.
Released in 2003. Director: Nick Broomfield. Documentary film.
