Cynniah Mack loves coming-of-age stories. Her favorite is “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” a 1999 novel and 2012 film, both written by Stephen Chbosky.
The 17-year-old said she relates to the story’s main character, Charlie. She understands his trouble making friends, his family dynamics. She also likes his character arc. “He learns how to be a wallflower, how to embrace being a wallflower,” Mack said. “Also Emma Watson is in it.”
Mack is just days away from debuting her own film, a 14-minute documentary that she created as part of this year’s Youth Documentary Academy, a summer program that trains 12 students to tell their stories through a combination of technical skills, narrative craft and a little dash of therapy…