Big Ups to Cinema About THE CITY!

I can't describe how excited I become when I see movies filmed in and about neighborhoods/areas that I have lived in. And I mean LIVED in. Images on screen of my fave restaurant or hangout or street or bar or even fucking corner(and I do have one!) make me proud; it validates what I have chosen to incorporate in the life of Sal. Over the past couple of years I really inhabited certain parts of San Francisco: the Mission, the Castro, and Bernal Heights to name a few. I loved these neighborhoods...and still do. So over the break I got to see a great indie film about the Mission called Quality of Life (or Against the Wall if you get the film on Netflix). QOL is about two graffiti artists, who after being arrested for tagging, make very different choices where they want to go in life. The issues the film touches on are really pertinent to people in their early adulthood life, especially those that are working class. The shots of the Mission and Bernal hill were so exciting to see in this film because they filmed it exactly how it is with the types of people that really inhabit that world. Def a local film that does good by its neighborhood. Sucker Free City is a film I discovered a year and a half ago. Directed by Spike Lee (yes!), this film was actually supposed to be the pilot of a series of the same name on Showtime. However, it did not get picked up...and what a shame! SFC looks at the lives of youth coming from three different neighborhoods like Chinatown, Hunter's Point, and the Mission. The acting and writing is on point and the portrayal of real urban life is awesome--not to mention, how SF can really be. Many people may not see this as a real important work from Spike Lee but it is for San Francisco. The city has a real distinct character (like much of the Bay) and thats get passed over usually in favor of some picture-perfect backdrops or stereotypical hippie jabs. Trust, that shit is weak sauce! Anyone who lives (and loves) in the city deserve something more when they see their neighborhood on film. These films do that in their own way. So go see them!!!

P.S. Speaking of local films, I've just written a short movie with a friend of mine which is going to be filmed in the City this weekend so I want everyone to see it. Details of where and how you can find it will be announced in the future. In the meantime, one of the wonderful actresses in our movie just finished work on another movie, called A Choice of Weapons, about Bayview/Hunter's Point. Below is the trailer for it and folks I'm thoroughly impressed! Created by young adults from the neighborhood, the film really tackles the injustice and challenges people in that neighborhood face daily including poverty, gang-violence, environmental racism, and now evictions due to gentrification. Important stuff!