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Feature: A new documentary on Watts
Watts Towers. (Photo by Robert Koo via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. Tag #LAist on Instagram if you want to see your photo featured here)
Nothing to See Here: Watts takes viewers through the lives of community members as they experience violence, decades long gang rivalries, and neglect from city services.
The topic:
The documentary Nothing to See Here: Watts takes viewers through the lives of community members as they experience violence, decades long gang rivalries, and neglect from city services.
How it was made: 20 participants were given iPhones to film themselves and their community over three years. The filmmakers included gang members, community activists, students, victims of violence, and police officers. They all later came together to decide what ultimately made the final cut.
The first screening: The first screening of the film was presented to active members of the rival gangs in Watts in an effort to bring about talks of peace. We see the discussions unfold as decades long rivalries come to a halt to protect their collective community.
Guests:
- Cornelius Wills, gang interventionist and mentor with Soledad Enrichment Action and Bounty Hunter Blood gang member
- Quiana Williams, mother of Sean Reynolds, a student who was shot in Watts
- Tim Pearce, retired LAPD gang officer who served in Watts and South Central LA
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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