Inseparable Ties
Inseparable Ties is a documentary about one mixed family's resiliency, imagination, and ties stronger than blood. The Hedges family resides in New Straitsville, a small town in rural southeast Ohio, and is comprised of Wayne and Lorena Hedges and their 11 children. Seven of the children are from Wayne's previous marriage and 4 are from Lorena's previous marriage. In spite of the poverty and poor living conditions, which surround their daily lives, their love for life and their love for each other continue to carry them over and beyond most of these obstacles.
Wayne Hedges plays with his kids, (from left) Shantelle & Chandra Hedges and his stepdaughter Reanna Davis in the front of their home in New Straitsville, Ohio.
From left, Reanna Davis, Zanyle Hedges, Jacob Hedges, Shyanne Hedges, Shantelle Hedges, Earl Davis, and Jeremiah Hedges watch a movie together in their living room. The children in the family range in age from 7 to 18-years-old.
Jeremiah Hedges and his younger sister Chandra Hedges hold two of their neighbor's children while babysitting them as they get ready to head home from the park downtown New Straitsville.
Shyanne, Shantelle, Chandra and Jeremiah sit in the back of their stepdad's truck before heading to their mother's house for the weekend.
Jeremiah and Zanyle sit and talk as they do their laundry.
Jacob gets pulled by one leg by his older brother Jeremiah while playing keep-a-way in their backyard with his sisters Shyanne, left, and Cierra, right.
Jacob, and Cierra play with a dead animal that they found next to their garage. They had suspected their dog killed the animal and left it there earlier that day.
Shantelle comes out of a slide in the park downtown New Straitsville.
Jeremiah holds hands with his girlfriend as they walk across one of the main streets downtown New Straitsville on their way to his mom's house for the weekend.
Cierra laughs in the grass as she plays in her backyard.
Jacob stands next to his dad crying after getting told he can't go downtown to the park.
The children practice walking down the isle for their parents wedding.
Right to left: Zanyle, Jeremiah and Chandra's boyfriend race each other up the hill to their house after getting told to come back home from the park.
Shyanne steps into the family's van as her younger sister Cierra waits inside. The family was getting ready to go trick-or-treating at their grandparent's house.
A sign hangs in the doorframe.
Shyanne, Shantelle and Cierra play a card game before going to bed.
Zanyle does a pull-up in the doorframe of Mandi's room.
Mandi kisses her younger sister, Reanna.
The four boys in the family, Jeremiah, Jacob, Zanyle and Earl play in the front of the house.