This intriguing and thought provoking experimental documentary crawls over, under and inside the leftover 'dead zones' of the California road and freeway system, finding an eclectic mix of people who inhabit, explore, and re-purpose these liminal spaces, sometimes uncovering a world to call their own. Urban planners, artists and engineers reflect on the sociological considerations about the built environment, including interviews with KALW'S Roman Mars (host of the popular architecture and design podcast "99 Percent Invisible") and John Law (co-founder of Burning Man and the Cacophony Society).
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BROKEN CITY POETS Ariane Wu, 29 min
Broken City Poets chronicles the lives of four high school students challenged to use poetry to make sense of their bankrupt, gang-ridden California city. In 2013, the Center for Investigative Reporting and Youth Speaks hosted a series of poetry workshops in Stockton. The two unlikely collaborators, a news organization and a youth poetry group, wondered what types of stories young people would tell if they wrote about their hometown, using reported facts provided by journalists. The students’ deadline for finishing their poems coincides with a citywide slam poetry competition whose winners will go on to compete in a national contest. During their journey, the students learn that language is not only a means of personal redemption, but also a tool for social change. - Chris Metzler