Guiding Light
Through the compelling interviews of the lead prosecutor, the defense attorney and the police chief, “Guiding Light” tells the story of a young teen (Polly Hannah Klaas) in a small town in America who was kidnapped from her bedroom during a slumber party while her family was in the house. In “Guiding Light”, India Mitchell, a teen growing up in the same town thirty years later brings a fresh perspective and highlights the importance of the legacy of this case to the continuing endeavor to keep children safe.
India Mitchell discovered her love of storytelling through filmmaking in middle school when her school in California changed to an online format for one year. At that time, India used an old cellphone to shoot footage about her dramatically changing world. India’s first student film, “Capes”, was honored at film festivals in California in 2022. Her second student film, “The innocent”, received many recognitions and was shown at film festivals around the world in 2023. In her third student film, “Guiding Light”, released in 2024, India highlights a case involving a teen of the same age from her town that rocked the nation thirty years earlier.
In 1993, Polly Klaas, a young teen who was growing up in Petaluma California, was kidnapped from her bedroom during a slumber party while her mother was asleep in the next room. In 2023, on the 30 year anniversary, director India Mitchell, who was the same age and growing-up in the same town, felt drawn to make a film about Polly and her long-standing legacy of child safety. While 30 years ago, Polly was abducted by a stranger from her own bedroom, today, strangers are able to access some children in their homes through social media, with similar, unfortunate results. Director India Mitchell made “Guiding Light” to honor Polly and her tremendous legacy, and to serve as a reminder of the importance of continuing to strive to keep children safe.