Filmmaker Statement

I chose to make this film to highlight the life lived growing up in this city. I wanted to take the themes of gang violence and correlate them with poverty. A lot of individuals I know frown upon the cities history with gang violence but don't see some of the root causes. I wanted to highlight that in these areas of extreme poverty are where violence is the most prominent. One of the early ways of trying to escape crippling poverty is to get involved with narcotics in these areas. For some of the youth this is the only way to help feed their families. I wanted to show that those who resort to these methods most of the time do so not for themselves but so that others have a chance to make it out. The whole world can view you as a villain but as long as being a villain gives those i love a better chance at making it out, then I'll wear my title on my chest.