20 years in the making 17 BLOCKs is an intimate chronicle of a DC-based family’s struggles with addiction and gun violence, directed by Emmy award-winning filmmaker Davy Rothbart. In 1999, nine-year-old Emmanuel Sanford-Durant and his family began to film their daily lives in America’s most dangerous neighborhood — just 17 blocks behind the U.S. Capitol. They’ve been filming ever since.
Made in a unique collaboration with filmmaker and journalist Davy Rothbart, 17 BLOCKS focuses on Emmanuel, a promising student, his brother Smurf, a local drug dealer, his sister Denice, an aspiring cop, and his mother Cheryl, who must conquer her own demons for her family to prosper. Spanning two decades, 17 BLOCKS illuminates a nation’s ongoing crisis through one family’s raw, stirring, and deeply personal saga. -JM
"Unshakable!" —The New York Times
"Heartwarming... harrowing... packs a potent emotional punch."
—The Hollywood Reporter
"Boyhood N' The Hood... packed with gritty realism. We marvel at the hidden powers of the powerless; how, when nearly broken, some people grow back stronger... And we're invited to celebrate the possibilities of change." — Screen International
"Deeply moving. A story of coming to terms with one's past and its repercussions on the future." —Flavorwire
"A remarkably raw and heartfelt piece of filmmaking... 17 Blocks reminded me of the deep humanism of Steve James' work."
—RogerEbert.com
"Profound and riveting!" — Filmmaker Magazine