"An engrossing and frequently extraordinary feature." - rogerebert.com

"A knockout." - Detroit News

"A wake-up call that might also inspire people to reach out to those in their communities who are hurting." - Culture Mix

In 1999, nine-year-old Emmanuel Sanford-Durant and his Washington, DC family began to film their daily lives in America's most dangerous neighborhood - just 17 blocks behind the U.S. Capitol building. They've been filming ever since.

Made in a unique collaboration with filmmaker and journalist Davy Rothbart, 17 Blocks focuses on four generations of the Sanford family, including 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.