2 posts tagged “skid row los angeles”

Its early morning 8:15, William just finished a meeting related to new documentary. The street sweepers, little store owners are buzzing about..while, the police in freshly pressed blues..wake the leftover homeless.

Margo: Tell your movie partner... I am ready to go home. That's why you came today right?

They said you were looking for me, I just got out of detox, 20 days in that Mexican detox on 60th and Broadway. Its like jail, the doors close at night, me and 50 men, and one other female. They would have keep me longer, but the other lady got real sick, and the police came, and shut down the center ... Oh I did not know but when you put me on that big screen my life changed..I want to go home now.

Margo continues: Tell her she is my angel, you too but - she saved my life, you too william, but -she made me see myself.

William you always find me, now find my daughter, she is 27 years old, Melody xxxxx.. Check in Hollywood, or Riverside; tell her Margo xxxx... "Tita", wants to come home.

In 2008, the documentary director Alina Skrzeszewska, and William Shepherd first made contact with Ms. Cuba. At that time, she was homeless, and had been on the streets of Los Angeles' skid row for over 10 years. Ms. Cuba's story is not a unique one, and in fact - she is the norm; sexual abuse, drugs, too much drink...broken families and no way out from the "bottoms".

On April 30th 2009, Alina Skrzeszewska's feature documentary "Songs From The Nickel" had its debut at the Walt Disney Concert Hall REDCAT Theater. Prior, Alina asked William "search and find Ms. Cuba and bring her to the screening"

As the movie ends...Ms. Cuba remarks, "I can do it... I'm going to leave skid row"

Theses two phoneCam images of Margo, were taken by William, and given to Ms. Alina Skrzeszewska as a gift..from Margo(Ms. Cuba).

Mile 25 relates to the LA Marathon's change in route. This year it ran by and on the edge of Skid Row. America's deepest pocket of poverty; however there are changes.

Wait, Skid row is cleaning up!

While I've worked in branding all my life, lots of my personal time is directed towards the documentation of culture in America.

http://skidrowportrait.aminus3.com

I was given a camera 4 years old...and have filmed/documented global conflicts for sometime.

lightstalkers.org/william_shepherd

Yet, skid row keeps calling me back. I guess it does not help that my church of mostly Asian-Americans sits in Little Tokyo at the crossroads of dispair, just a mere few blocks. But, truth be told - there is a raw sense of life, gut honest; still, hidden from most of America's vision.

Ralph Ellison wrote about "The Invisible Man." I think he lives down the nickle... The Nickle: down 5th St, folks so poor they only have a Nickle bag of hope, no joke.

So, here are a few CameraPhone snaps..

Peace:
w.shepherd