A film made by Watts, not about it
To an outsider, the room looked like nothing. Inside, everything was at stake: Bloods sat with Crips, police with victims, a mother alongside a man whose gang had beaten her.
Within a year, homicides declined 90%. What happened in that room is our story.
The numbers.
The Community
2.1
sq. mi.
60+
gangs
100
homicides while filming
The Process
300+
community filmmakers
200
hours of footage
3
years
The Outcome — in the 12 months that followed:
0
gang-related homicides
90%
reduction in homicides overall
>50%
reduction in all forms of violent crime
The filmmakers.
Two hundred residents were asked. Twenty said yes. In time, more than 300 members of the community contributed to the making of the film. At the community-wide screening, 4,000 people came.
Meet the filmmakers →What people are saying.
Forbes
“Unlikely collaborators documented their daily lives, and, in the process, reduced homicides by 90%.”
ReadDEADLINE
“One of the most remarkable documentaries of the year… bold, unapologetically real, and socially impactful.”
ReadFOX 11 — GOOD DAY LA
The filmmakers in studio: how a community-made film sparked a peace movement in Watts.
Watch