[pullquote size=”medium” align=”right”]Watch the film Reforestation [/pullquote]

About the Film – Reforestation

Amidst intensifying wildfires and global warming, CAL FIRE and USDA face an overwhelming struggle to replant millions of acres lost to recent wildfires. The process of replanting starts by picking the cones of mature conifers. By identifying species that are more adapted to climate change, geneticists are able to replant conifers that can better survive climate change. Facing the tremendous demand for fighting wildfires, authorities like CAL FIRE also struggle to find climbers to pick cones for seeds.

Directors Statement: 

Reporter Mallory Pickett and I wanted to explain to viewers the scientific processes that geneticists are using to replant our state’s burnt forests. We filmed the climbers, who collect conifer cones, using a GoPro and a DJI Mavic 2 drone in hopes of portraying the lofty efforts that are being made to rejuvenate California’s forests by authorities like CAL FIRE and U.S. Forestry Service. As the state loses more and more trees to intensifying wildfires, geneticists believe that forests can be regrown by selecting trees that are better adapted to global warming. We were inspired by the dogged efforts of sources like Arnaldo Ferreira and Jessica Huang whose work softens the negative impacts of climate change.

Director Bios:

Jennifer Cain is an independent filmmaker based in Santa Cruz, California. She directs and produces short documentaries and television news stories that have appeared with AJ+ and the PBS NewsHour.  Jennifer graduated from the University of California, Graduate School of Journalism with an M.A. in video storytelling.  As a project manager, she has led data-driven, interactive projects with digital news outlets like YR Media (formerly Youth Radio).

To keep up with the Reforestation Crew

You can find them on social

Editor, Producer – Jenn Cain

@jennymcain  on Twitter

@cennyjain on Instagram

Reporter, Producer – Mallory Pickett

@MalloryLPickett on Twitter

Editor, Producer – Isara Krieger

@isarakrieger on FB or Twitter

@alonewithacupcake on IG

Website: https://www.isarakrieger.com/

Credits for Reforestation:

Mallory Pickett                           Reporter, Producer

Jenn Cain                                        Director, Producer

Erika Staud                                    Editor, Photographer

Isara Krieger                                 Editor, Producer

Bijan Sharifi                                   Sound Mix

LaTrina Candia                            Sound Recorder

Gary Coates                                  Color Grading

William Sammons                      Sound Design

[pullquote size=”medium” align=”right”]Watch Last Days at Paradise High Now [/pullquote]

After the most destructive fire in California history destroys the town of Paradise, the end of the school year takes on added meaning for two seniors, Harmony and Kody, and their beloved teacher, Mrs. Partain. As the end of school approaches, these displaced teens grapple with their fading youth like their peers across the country —
struggling to stay motivated in class, fighting to be heard, capriciously asserting newfound independence, and deciding what to do after graduation. But these moments of classic teenage drama are routinely ruptured by jarring reminders that they have lived through one of the greatest disasters in their country’s history. Told from the perspective of America’s youngest climate refugees, Last Days at Paradise High is an intimate portrait of fading youth and the search for home after it’s gone.

Directors’ Statement
Increasing traumatic events around the nation and world—from school shootings to COVID-19—are bringing a new generation of young adults into adulthood with inherited trauma. These events are creating a generation of survivors with a shared understanding of the impermanence of our world, anxiety about impending disaster,
and a resolve to embark upon radical change. As filmmakers, we hope to honor and highlight their stories so that they not be forgotten. The ultimate aim with this film is to include the good with the bad, the familiar with the unexpected, to broaden the perception and deepen the understanding of a disaster and its unforeseen impacts. We want to show both young and old generations how
they might live beyond the grim issues of the day, to remind them of the complications and joys of youth, and to demonstrate, through the examples of our subjects, the opportunity for collective healing
List of film festival screenings SFFILM, DocLands, DCEFF, Alexander Valley Film Festival, Sebastopol Film Festival’s, Declare Your Independents program.

EMILY THOMAS | CO-DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, CINEMATOGRAPHER
Emily is a nonfiction filmmaker and cinematographer driven by a passion for documenting the human experience. Her work is rooted in the belief that stories are the most powerful way to connect people, bridge cultures, and embolden the voiceless.

She is co-director of Last Days at Paradise High, a documentary chronicling the end of adolescence in the wake of the devastating wildfire in Northern California that burned down the town of Paradise. The film screened at film festivals around the country and was originally published in The New Yorker. She is currently working on her first feature-length documentary, The Price of Freedom, a vignette film that illuminates the hidden worlds at the gates of the criminal justice system. Her work can be seen on Frontline, CBS, POV, The Guardian and many others.

DEREK KNOWLES | CO-DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, CINEMATOGRAPHER
Derek Knowles is a documentary filmmaker whose work has been featured as a Vimeo Staff pick and on outlets like The Atlantic. He prefers to focus his work on people’s unheralded, often overlooked experiences, and has been a part of projects for Frontline, National Geographic, CNN, POV, and The Documentary Group. Recently, he
was an Artist-in-Residence at “the camp” in the south of France where he developed an interactive intergenerational project aimed at connecting young and older generations. His recent film, “After the Fire,” winner of the Tribeca Film Institute’s “If/Then” Shorts Award, follows three residents of his hometown in the months
following 2017’s historic wildfires. It aired on California PBS stations in August 2019.

Derek graduated with honors from Stanford University in 2011 with a degree in American Studies.

PETER RICHARDS | EXECUTIVE-PRODUCER
Peter Richardson’s thoughtful and compelling documentary work has gained widespread recognition, including the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary and an Emmy Nomination for Best Documentary for How to Die in Oregon, his second feature. The film was broadcast on HBO, and the Chicago Sun-Times noted that “it will likely be viewed as one of the most historically significant
documentaries of this decade.” Richardson’s first feature doc also premiered at Sundance and was broadcast on the Sundance Channel. Richardson has worked extensively on premium documentary series, most recently show running two seasons
of QB1: Beyond the Lights, a 10-part documentary series about high school football, executive produced by Peter Berg. Prior to his work on QB1, Richardson was Series Director of Dark Net and Co-Executive Producer of The Circus: The Greatest Political
Show on Earth, both for Showtime Networks.

CREDITS
A Film By:
Emily Thomas and Derek Knowles

Featuring:
Virginia Partain
Harmony VonStockhausen
Kody Loesch
Jennifer Lyle

Executive Producer
Peter Richardson
In Association with Blue Chalk Media and Lemon Tree Productions

Cinematography:
Derek Knowles
Emily Thomas

Producers
Emily Thomas
Derek Knowles
Blue Chalk

Executive Producers
Greg Moyer
Pam Huling

Editor
Greg Snider

Assistant Editor
Kashi Hall

Post Production Manager
Amy Polansky

Color Grade
Kashi Hall

Audio Mix
Jim Cooke

Original Music
Adam Gunther

Additional Music
Alice Bauman

Consulting Editor
Dan Sadowksy

Production Assistant
John Toner

Additional Camera:
Levi Baker
Basil Glew-Galloway
Craig Hickerson
Chris Smith

Confessionals:
Isiah Anderson
Mackenzie Anderson
Megan Brewer
Faith Brown
Thomas Corcoran
Sofia DiBenedetto
Emily Headman
Vicki Kelleman
Isiah Kent
Anthony Kern
Marissa Metker
Tiril Mong
Sarah Peters
Juliette Salls
Autumn Spoolman
Kaylee Sunega
Rachel Warren

Thank You:
Staff and administrators of Paradise High School
Paradise Unified School District
Juan Arboleda
Samantha Clark
Michelle John
Margaret Katcher
Debra Knowles
Dan Krauss
Lawrence Lerew
Gabriel Long
Stacie Martin
Sofia Melo
Jeff Plunkett
Serghino Roosblad
Mark Schapiro
Lauren Schwartzman
Spencer Seibert
Conor Spicer
Elliott Thomas
Toner Family
Luke Wigren
Kirt Woodman

Funding Provided By:
Berkeley Film Foundation
Erin and Francis Collins

[pullquote size=”medium” align=”right”]Watch Fighting Fire With Fire Now [/pullquote]

About the Film – Fighting Fire with Fire

As wildfires in Sonoma County become increasingly devastating a growing group of people revives a Native American practice of fighting fire with fire.

Directors Statement: 

Although turning 24 is not a particularly special birthday, I will never forget that day. I sit at the dinner table with a few friends who have decided to share the evening with me despite the fires creeping closer. The awkward, out-of-sync “happy birthday to you” is followed by sudden darkness. PG&E has cut our power to prevent the high winds from starting any more fires. Our phones ring with alerts that evacuation alerts are coming closer to us. Flustered, my guests make their way home. The sounds of sirens echo through the streets, and my heart palpitates as a wave of fear overcomes me. I pack the car with essential possessions. As I drive, my car wobbles in the wind. I arrive at my cousin’s house in Sacramento at 1 am, becoming one of many Sonoma County evacuees.

While fire seasons are getting more prolonged and intense, my community is learning how to adapt to this changing reality. This past December, I witnessed a glimmer of hope for the coming years of fire. I was invited to film at a ranch in the hills of Bodega that was performing a controlled burn. These ranchers were burning part of their 1,000 acres of grassland and forest to prevent a devastating wildfire and keep the land healthy. I stood on a hill filming, surrounded by CalFire and local volunteers from the community, all looking at Red Bird, a local indigenous man. Red Bird blesses the burn, apologizing to any creature hurt during the controlled burn process. A school-grade girl who grew up on the land begins to rub a stick back and forth to create a traditional friction fire. She places an ember into the grass, and the prescribed burn has started. The very same spark sent me on my journey to make Fighting Fire with Fire.

Through the experience of making this film, I have been amazed by the enthusiasm to relearn what it means to steward the land in Sonoma County.

Director Bios:

Cameron Nielsen is a San Francisco Bay Area-based documentary filmmaker dedicated to telling stories that reimagine complex issues of our times. His film Rewilding Honeybees won Best Documentary Short at Sonoma International Film Festival and premiered at Telluride Mountainfilm Festival. Cameron is currently in the documentary program at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and freelancing as a video journalist for organizations such as AJ+ and Business Insider, and KQED.

To keep up with Cameron Nielsen

You can check out his

Instagram: @cameronpnielsen

Twitter: @cameronpnielsen

Website: cameronnielsen.com

Credits for Fighting Fire With Fire :

Director, Producer, Camera & Editor: Cameron Nielsen

Supervising Producer: Andrés Cediel

Featuring: Edward “Red Bird” Willie, Sasha Berleman, Jay Silva & Shepley Schroth-Cary

Archival Footage: Jacqueline Jorgenson

Special Thanks: Cassandra Herrman, James Fahn & Alyssum Revallo

San Francisco’s Musée Mécanique sat empty and under threat of permanent closure for 15 months during the pandemic. The short film, Nostalgia Museum, is the story of how the beloved arcade survived in the face of economic loss and mechanical deterioration.

About the Film – Nostalgia Museum

Antique arcade Musée Mécanique has provided entertainment to San Franciscans and tourists alike for nearly a century. But the pandemic almost marked its end. “Nostalgia Museum” provides an intimate portrayal of owner Dan Zelinsky as he struggles to keep the legacy of this iconic San Francisco institution, and of his father, alive in the face of economic loss and mechanical deterioration.

“It’s one of the few things in the city that is exactly the way it used to be. These machines are these machines.”

Directors Statement:

Many establishments with long, rich histories did not make it to the other side of the pandemic. In a year defined by loss, we wondered how communities felt about losing pieces of their cultural heritage. Musée Mécanique is full of meaning for many throughout San Francisco. It is an eccentric home that delights across generations. For the 15 months that the arcade was closed to the public, patrons near and far donated to support the maintenance of the Musée in hopes that it would one day reopen. We were lucky that Dan Zelinsky welcomed us behind the museum’s shuttered doors and gave us a view into the history of his family, his city, and of the relentless labor required to keep century-old machines in working condition. All Dan has ever wanted is to share his collection with any person who happens to wander in. His love of fun and knowledge of mechanical restoration is unmatched. Together through the film, we explored themes of time, memory, community, family, and what it takes to preserve whimsy in a serious, commercial world.

[pullquote size=”medium” align=”right”]Watch Nostalgia Museum Now [/pullquote]

Director Bios:

Sofie Kodner is a journalist and documentarian based in San Francisco, California. She often reports at the nexus of history, design, and culture. Her work has appeared in CalMatters, KALW, Protocol, and the Jackson Hole News and Guide. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Sofie grew up in St. Louis, Missouri.

Eleonora Bianchi is a Swiss-Italian journalist based in Berkeley, California. Before moving to the United States, she earned a degree in Human Rights and worked for Swiss Radio and Television. Eleonora is currently a master’s student at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, where she focuses on investigative reporting and narrative writing. She is an avid traveler who enjoys learning about different cultures through story.

Credit List of Cast & Crew:

A film by Sofie Kodner & Eleonora Bianchi
Creative Advisors: Andrés Cediel & Samantha Grant
Special Thanks: Dan Zelinsky, Nicole Meldahl, Ken Eaton, Judith Taylor Dixon, Noah Haydon, Peter Mintun, James Matison, Derek Lipkin
Archival: Dan Zelinksy, Western Neighborhoods Project, Geoff Svendsgaard
Technical Assistance: Chris O’Dea
Produced at the Graduate School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley

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About the Film – The Titan Rises

The Skyline High School football team in Oakland, California prepares for their delayed season amid the Covid-19 pandemic. For senior players, this season is one of their last shots at showcasing their talents to earn a college football scholarship, and an even more pressing opportunity to escape the violent threats surrounding them in their community. This documentary short follows head coach Joe Bates and the Titans as they navigate through playing football during the coronavirus pandemic, the life & death struggle of Oakland’s streets, and the toll it takes on these inner-city athletes.

Directors Statement by Brian Wollitz

At the beginning of the pandemic, I had the idea to do a feature story on athletes whose futures were in jeopardy because of the countless youth sports cancellations nationwide. With my prior experience as a high school sports reporter, I’ve seen just how important the final season can be for players who are on the brink of getting a shot to continue their athletics and education in college.

When I first met head coach Joe Bates of Skyline’s football team, he talked at length about how important sports are for his community in Oakland, California. Bates emphasized how he uses football as a central tool for youth development and a path for his players to achieve higher education and escape the systemic conditions and potentially violent threats surrounding them with inner-city influences.

Coach Bates explained that because of the pandemic, his team and players were even more adversely affected because of shutdowns and stay-at-home orders. To Bates, it was proving to be a great challenge to not only plan for a potential season but to more importantly stay connected with his team and provide mentorship when they weren’t able to be together during the pandemic.

Not long into filming, the entire scope of the project changed as a sudden tragedy hit the team, and illustrated what Bates talked so often about. I was forced to refocus my efforts, but in turn, it provided a deeper and more raw look into the life of Oakland’s communities, families, and the promising athletes they produce.

In all, it was a challenging experience producing, editing, and mostly shooting on my own, but I felt this allowed me to gain trust while creating a less distracting and better relationship with the team over the nine months I was following them.

I want to thank everyone who helped make this film a possibility – especially the 2020-21 Skyline football team and the Pryor family – for allowing me to learn and help share a glimpse of their struggles and successes during the pandemic.

[pullquote size=”medium” align=”right”]Watch The Titan Rises Now [/pullquote]

Director Bio:

Brian Wollitz is a multimedia journalist, video producer, and filmmaker from Pacifica, California. His interests include reporting on the intersection of sports & social issues, food, music, art, and culture. His writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate, The Rugby Journal, and OffBeat Magazine. He’s also worked in various production and reporting positions for ESPN, The Investigative Reporting Program, WVUE-TV FOX 8, and NOLA Gold Rugby. He earned his master’s degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

Credit List of Cast & Crew:

Producer: Brian Wollitz
Director of Photography: Brian Wollitz

Additional Camera: Clara Mokri
Editor: Brian Wollitz
Creative Advisors: Andrés Cediel, Mike Shen
Content Advisors: Jon Reiss, Jeremy Rue

Technical Advisor & Colorist: Chris O’Dea

Featuring:

Joe Bates

Julian Jackson

Simeon Milan

Kweke Garth Jr.

Taijuan Pryor

Aria Patterson

Jason Santana

Mata Fifita

Composer & Original Score: Alexander Turk
Post Production Sound: Mark Escott, Phoenix Sound Design

Special Thanks:

Tiffany Winters

Jacqueline Winters

Patrick Walsh

James Salazar

John Sasaki

Franky Navarro

Anthony Petty

Skyline High School

Castlemont High School

Blackmagic Design

Canon USA

Archival Photos:

Tiffany Winters

Taijuan Pryor

Yolanda James, San Francisco Chronicle | Polaris Images

Archival Video:

Joe Bates

Mustafa Muhyee

Lamont Prince Jr.

Produced At:

The Graduate School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley

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How do you transform what we might see as negative into something positive? The is the question at the heart of the short food documentary Bloodline–a metaphorical, personal exploration by Tu David Phu of his genesis as a chef, as seen through his parents’ memories of the Vietnam War and Khmer Rouge, and how US culture often disregards certain seminal life experiences as “scrap,” similar to how the physical bloodline of fish is often thrown away by chefs, even though it carries the animal’s “essence.”

The story, directed by James Q. Chan (Forever, Chinatown) and Santhosh Daniel, is framed around Tu, just as he returns home to Oakland, California after being a contestant on the competitive cooking series, Top Chef (Season 15). As he and his parents prepare a Saturday dinner, drawing on his mother’s self-taught culinary repertoire (which began in a Thai refugee camp), and his father’s ancestry as a free-diver and fishmonger from Phú Quốc, Vietnam, Tu reflects on his visibility as a “celebrity chef,” tracing how he went from refugee roots and a childhood in West Oakland, to this new life by relying on things learned from his family kitchen–rather than the “formal” skills and training learned in culinary school–including how to turn something “inedible,” such as fish bloodline, into a beautiful dish.

Bloodline is the first release of First Kitchen, a documentary food series created by Santhosh Daniel co-executive produced with Tu David Phu and produced with James Q. Chan and Miles Ito, that spotlights ‘everyday people with exceptional stories.’ At the series’ core is a belief that ‘every voice deserves a place at the table’ and a vision to cultivate greater equity and equality in food media. Bloodline is the inaugural project of this vision and a template for cultural inclusivity and creativity the producers envision for all films in the series.

Production Credits
Directed by: James Q. Chan and Santhosh Daniel
Story by: Santhosh Daniel and Tu David Phu
Editor: Jeff den Broeder
Cinematography: James Q. Chan
Additional Camera: Jeff den Broeder and Kat Ma
Music by: Miles Ito
Sound Mixer: Matthew Kulewicz
Titles by: James DiRito
Production Assistant: Jean O
Associate Producers: Matthew Kulewicz, Kat Ma, Kim Phu and Penelope Wong
Producers: Jeff den Broeder and Miles Ito
Executive Producers: James Q. Chan, Santhosh Daniel and Tu David Phu

Presenting Partners
KQED
Center for Asian American Media

Major Funding
Corporation for Public Broadcasting (via Center for Asian American Media)
Private individuals

BLOODLINE is now available streaming online via Truly CA, and is presented by American Public Media and broadcasting on your local PBS Station. Check your local listings.

Bloodline is the first release of First Kitchen, a documentary food series created by Santhosh Daniel, James Q. Chan, and The Center for Asian American Media. Funding is provided by The Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Directors’ and Producers’ Statement:

The artistic vision for Bloodline, our first story from the First Kitchen series, is to create a visual and narrative environment that is lush, both in terms of food, ingredients, and physical setting, but also emotion. This is evident in the opening scenes, which feature the family garden, but also pay close attention to skin texture and tone as Tu speaks about his tattoos, as well as lighting and color (i.e. most scenes are lit with direct or reflected sunlight, and include distinct color contrasts with clothing, ingredients, etc). The quiet family moments are juxtaposed by bright and vibrant flavors of the family meal that go together which, James Q. Chan, co-director and cinematographer, refracts through his personal history; living in refugee camps after fleeing war-torn Vietnam where he was born, and memories of his mother’s Vietnamese recipes shape the visceral sensibilities of the film.

The narrative approach was to film in multiple settings that contrast one another (i.e. Phú Quốc, the wharf, etc) and incorporate “found sounds” from those settings into our soundtrack (i.e. BART train, sewing machine, etc) to demonstrate the rich complexity of the family’s story, and how seemingly disparate elements all eventually lead and merge into Tu. And, we built it in such a way so as to mimic how a chef would build a dish—meaning, a five-act structure that begins with the “raw ingredients” of Tu and his parents, upon which we gradually layer elements (i.e. garden, war, marriage, etc) to create a story whose message is not realized until the conclusion, similar to how a dish is not actualized until plated. This approach, captured beautifully by the camera and dressed with original music by Miles Ito, results in a sense of being with the family, in their kitchen and at their table, which we hope everyone experiences as they watch the film.

As we hear testimony from Rick’s former drama teacher, his bandmates and, those who have hired him to be a part of their special occasions, we learn about Rick’s struggles and what inspires him to keep going.

Directors Note:
Like many people, I am drawn to a good story. We all have special talents to share and unique voices. When I come across something or someone that inspires me, I want to share that inspiration with others.

[aside label=”Check out the interview with director, Cate Celso” link1=”https://www.npr.org/https://matthewtoffolo.com/2020/08/08/interview-with-filmmaker-cate-celso-king-of-the-road/player/embed/508608745/509179603, Daily Summary, Matthew Toffolo”]

I met Rick six years ago when the company I worked for hired him to perform on-site. As I watched his energy fill the room he transformed his audience, I became curious about him and wanted to know more about his path, his story.

Our paths crossed again back in 2017 and for me, it was a sign to tackle my first documentary and share Rick’s inspirational story with you.

Cate Celso (Director) – is a filmmaker based in San Francisco, CA. She has worked for several years in live-action and animation film production. Cate started writing and directing short films with some fellow co-workers and eventually joined indie film groups where she continues to contribute her skills. Currently, she is working on building her body of work as a Director. This is her first documentary and third short film.

Ashley Hirt (Producer) – Ashley Hirt is a Canadian born filmmaker living in Los Angeles. Her storytelling often reflects her mixed cultural roots of growing up in a Metis and Scottish family. Known for co-producing the feature film “Black Field” which has received numerous accolades including the Amazon Video Direct Award (2017) at the Sundance Film Festival (2017). Ashley’s work is usually female-driven content and supports Indigenous artists. She is an alumna of the National Screen Institute of Canada and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (London).

Sean Wells (Director of Photography) – Sean makes stuff and likes to help other people make stuff. He mostly works in the dark as a colorist but as Director of Photography on King of the Road, he’s working with light.

“Your gray hands just taught me how to survive in a world. We never learned how to love ourselves unconditionally. I’ve been with multiple foster families, I’ve been with multiple shelters. How does a person like me not end up with a family. …” – Noel Anaya in an open letter to the foster care system. 

[aside label=”Listen to the original NPR Story from Noel” link1=”https://www.npr.org/player/embed/508608745/509179603, NPR, Noel Anaya”]

Unadopted follows Noel Anaya in his quest for answers about, his family, and his experience in the foster care system, interweaving his own journey with the stories of three other teens who, like so many foster youth, are at emotional crossroads, confronted with what may be the most important decision of their lives: whether to emancipate from the foster care system, opt into “extended care,” or pursue a “forever family.” This documentary is produced by YR Media.

[pullquote size=”medium” align=”right”]Read more coverage on Noel Anaya and his sunder from the foster care system. [/pullquote]

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In this short documentary, Dan shares his experiences in the Sacramento comedy scene, opens up about his sobriety, and chronicles his evolution as a sitting-down stand up comedian. Writing and performing comedy, along with people’s laughter, is what has kept him going through some of his darkest times.  

[pullquote size=”medium” align=”right”]Watch The Dan Smith Story Here By. Ainé Henderson [/pullquote]

I first met Dan Smith on a dare. A dare to try one of the most terrifying things known to humanity: stand up comedy. Dan and I met at an open mic hosted at the famous Italian restaurant, Vince’s, which is delightfully snuggled up in between a Motel 6 parking lot and a Del Taco in South Sacramento. It was my first time doing stand up and Dan, the comedy pro, was hard to miss. He was the only one who took the term “front and center stage” seriously. There was a bar placed horizontally across the stage exactly at hip height, my hip height, which is where Dan’s face height is when he’s sitting in his wheelchair. To be seen, he had to perform in front of the stage. As an outsider and a newcomer, I was full of nerves but Dan greeted me warmly and the rest of the comedians greeted him with love and admiration.

That night, Dan had me rolling with laughter, the kind of laughter that comes from a combination of agony mixing with humor, the kind that makes you feel uncomfortable for laughing, but so uncomfortable you continue to laugh. My favorite type of comedy: dark comedy. I’d never come across a comic who used comedy to express themselves like Dan had. Sure, I’d just been on stage talking about my broken love life and that got some laughs but Dan’s story was unique, just as he is. His jokes ranged from getting a DUI in his wheelchair to “running” not running in the family. After that night, Dan and I stayed in touch and he opened up to the possibility of being the subject of this documentary.

[pullquote size=”large” align=”left”]I’ve begun to refer to Dan as an onion, not only because he makes me cry laughing, but because the more you get to know him, the more layers you begin to see he has. [/pullquote] Dan is one of the goofiest and sweetest people I’ve met. At first glance, I saw someone with a disability using comedy to express themselves. But the more I got to know him, I saw someone who has used the transformative power of comedy to better themselves. Dan credits stand up comedy for his sobriety, a statement that very few people can identify with as many comedians are notorious for drug use. Dan’s passion for making people laugh and for connecting with his fellow comedians, is what drove him to quit drinking. This drive to self betterment, an evolution of strength and ability to overcome whatever health adversity he is thrown, is inspiring. The love Dan has for his wife is also inspiring. I’m honored to be able to share some of Dan’s story.

[aside label=”More from Dan Smith” link1=”http://www.stspodcast.com/tag/dan-the-cant-stand-up-comedian-smith/, Dan Smith on Serious Talk. Seriously. Podcast”]

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Dan Smith Bio:

Dan Smith (aka Dan the Can’t Stand Up Comedian) was born in Walnut Creek. He was born with a birth defect called Spina Bifida and has been a paraplegic his whole life. Much of his material comes from his experiences spending his life in a wheelchair. He has been performing comedy for 3 years in clubs, including Punch Line, Laughs Unlimited and all over Sacramento, as well as performing in San Francisco, and Reno and numerous other places throughout California and Nevada. When he’s not doing comedy, he enjoys spending time with his wife Anna and their Boston Terrier Kepi Joe.

Credits:

Ainé Henderson

Asal Ehsanipour

Alex Irwin

Janelle Hessig

Music

Black Silhouette

By. Blockhead & Alan Parker & Eric Allen &

Frank Reidy & Peter Shade

De Wolfe Music // De Wolfe LTD

Documentary Minimalism

By. Benjamin McAvoy

De Wolfe Music // De Wolfe LTD 

Special Thanks 

Dan Smith

Justin Isaacks 

Highwater Restaurant

Vic Mauleon

Sasha Khokha

Amy Miller

Abby Staeble

Derek Dozier

The Body Posi Comedy Show

Ale and Yose both came to the United States when they were four years old and grew up in Oakland, California. In 2012, both were eligible for and received DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).

[pullquote size=”medium” align=”right”]Watch Ale Y Yose By. Erin Semine Kökdil [/pullquote]

Often called DREAMers, studies show that DACA recipients achieve better economic opportunity, attain higher education, enroll in health insurance, and participate more in their local communities. However, in the current political environment, Ale and Yose are unsure of what the future holds. While they fear being deported, their other fears parallel young people of their age—not amounting to anything in life. The film takes place in 2017-2018, in Ale’s senior year of high school and Yose’s junior year, and interweaves home movies shot by Ale and Yose, and interview and observational footage shot by the filmmaker.

[aside label=”More from Ale Y Yose” link1=”https://www.eskokdil.com/ale-y-yose, Ale Y Yose Website”]At a time where undocumented immigrants, the Latino community, and DREAMers are under attack, Ale y Yose offers an intimate glimpse into the lives and perspectives of two girls at the forefront of these intersecting issues. Undocumented yet unafraid, Ale and Yose both fit and break the mold of a US teenager.

[aside label=”More coverage of Ale Y Yose” link1=”https://www.indiewire.com/2019/06/palm-springs-shortfest-short-filmmakers-awards-1202152381/, Ale Y Yose At Palm Springs Film Festival” link2=”https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/2019/06/23/palm-springs-shortfest-wraps-up-these-best-best/1542028001/, Best of the Best at Palm Springs Film Festival”]

Director’s Statement: Erin Semine Kökdil –

I had the incredible fortune of meeting Ale and Yose through the Oakland-based organization 67 Sueños, which works with undocumented youth and youth from mixed status families in Oakland, California. I spent several months getting to know them and building trust before we started filming. When we did start filming, I decided to work in a way that was more collaborative than my past work – providing Ale and Yose with cameras and having them actively film their lives. This decision came from my desire to give them more agency in their image and the way they were portrayed. When we started filming, I was immediately taken aback by their willingness to be so vulnerable and share such personal aspects of their lives—their struggles, fears, and dreams.

As a filmmaker, I am interested in leveraging the power of film to build solidarity and incite social change. Each of my past films incorporated a level of collaboration, something that is extremely important to my work. As I continue my career as a filmmaker, I have a continued interest in improving this collaborative practice between the protagonists of the film and myself, ensuring that the process of opening one’s life to the filmmaking process is empowering and strengthening rather than extractive and exploitative. [pullquote size=”large” align=”left”]I have a continued interest in improving this collaborative practice between the protagonists of the film and myself, ensuring that the process of opening one’s life to the filmmaking process is empowering and strengthening rather than extractive and exploitative. [/pullquote]I learned so much in the process of making this film and will carry this experience of working with Ale and Yose with me forever.

Director Bio:

Erin Semine Kökdil is a storyteller interested in building solidarity and inciting social change through films. Her work deals with issues of trauma, marginalization, and migration she has screened at IDFA, Hot Docs, Camden International Film Festival, and Palm Springs International ShortFest. Prior to becoming a filmmaker, Erin worked extensively with non-profits and community-led initiatives in the U.S. and Guatemala. Erin holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies and Spanish from Smith College and an M.F.A. in Documentary Film and Video from Stanford University. She is currently in post-production on her short documentary “Since you arrived, my heart stopped belonging to me” and has been awarded a 2020 SFFilm FilmHouse artist residency.

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Credits: 

A Film By: Erin Semine Kökdil

In Collaboration With: Alejandra Matias and Yoselina Bazan

Cinematography: Alejandra Matias, Yoselina Bazan, Erin Semine Kökdil

Additional Camera: Eliva Shaw and Paloma Martinez

Production Assistance & Sound: Eliva Shaw, Azar Kafaei, Chris Filippone

Faculty Advisors: Jamie Meltzer, Srdan Keca, Jan Krawitz

Technical Advisors: Mark Urbanek and Paul Meyers

Colorist: Mark Sterne

Sound Mixer: Erik Reimers

Music: “Something Elated” by Broke for Free; “Lucy’s Song” by Ryan Little

Poetry: Excerpt from “Let Me Try Again,” Unaccompanied by Javier Zamora

Special Thanks: Linda Sanchez, 67 Sueños, Javier Zamora, Ann Brown, MetWest High School, The Matias and Bazan Families, Zulfiya Hamzaki, Nathan Reich, Nico Sandi, Melissa Langer, Cecil Hooker, Laura Oaksmith, Sami Kökdil, Colleen Oaksmith, Jenn Miller Scarnato, Sarah Kate Heilbrun, Humberto Ortiz-Silva, Priscilla González Sainz, Laura Tejero Núñez, Dinesh Das Sabu, Adam Tobin, Yvette Borja

Funded in part through a grant from The Breitrose Awards, by The Enersen Foundation

Produced in the Documentary Film M.F.A. Program, Department of Art & Art History, Stanford University

© 2018 Erin Semine Kökdil

[aside label=”More on All That Remains” link1=”http://www.facebook.com/allthatremainsdocumentary, Follow All That Remains on Social Media” link2=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGP-hr5v6bg, Eva Rendle Accepts Bronze Medal Award at the Student Academy Awards for All That Remains”]

In this short documentary we meet the community that makes wine country  as we know it, run. We meet farmworkers and citizens of Northern California, many of them undocumented, who speak to the plight they’ve experienced when the work and the homes they know go up in smoke. Where do you live when all the apartments have been destroyed and how do you access public aid when your work is seasonal and you’re undocumented?

A year after wildfires ravaged Northern California’s Wine Country, its vulnerable population of farmworkers, many of them undocumented, find themselves in a heightened state of insecurity and inequality. All That Remains follows the second responders and vineyard workers who are still dealing with the aftermath of the fires, long after the media has turned away. [pullquote size=”medium” align=”right”]Watch All That Remains By. Eva Rendle [/pullquote]Their stories shed light on the immigration, labor, and housing issues that have been building in Napa and Sonoma for years, only to be brought to the surface by one of the deadliest natural disasters in California history

[aside label=”More on the importance  and impact of Farmworkers during COVID19″ link1=”https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/us/coronavirus-undocumented-immigrant-farmworkers-agriculture.html, Farmworkers, Mostly Undocumented, Become ‘Essential’ During Pandemic” link2=”https://www.kqed.org/news/11808267/farmworkers-cant-pick-crops-remotely-how-can-they-stay-safe, Farmworkers Can’t Pick Crops Remotely. How Can They Stay Safe?”]

Director’s Statement:

I started covering this story when the North Bay Fires first hit, about six weeks into my first semester at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, but it really evolved over the next year and a half. The fires started during harvest season. Since a majority of farmworkers in Wine Country don’t have legal immigration status, right off the bat there was a lot of local and national media coverage on how the undocumented community was impacted by the disaster.

But I was struck by the deeper, systemic inequities in Wine Country that the fires brought to the surface. Undocumented immigrants are the backbone of Napa and Sonoma’s agricultural and tourism industries, but they’re forced to live in the shadows because of their immigration status. The fires exposed and exacerbated the immigration, labor, and housing issues that they live with every day.

When I set out to make this film, that was what I aimed to explore. While this is a local story, I think the lessons learned in Napa and Sonoma can be applied to communities nationwide. In the end, I hope it can start a conversation about who is most vulnerable after a natural disaster and what kinds of things people with legal immigration status take for granted in their day to day lives.

Director Bio:

Eva Rendle is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist whose work covers agriculture, immigration, and environmental issues in the West.

She received her Master’s degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism in 2019, where she was named the Brian Pollack Documentary Film Fellow. She holds a B.A. in Geography and Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado.

In 2015 Rendle was named a National Geographic Explorer, and spent three months photographing family-owned olive farms around the Mediterranean. Since then she has worked on print and video stories in Spain, Greece, Italy, Chile, Hungary, Peru, Israel, and Palestine.

She lives and works in Denver, Colorado.

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Cast and Crew:

FEATURING: Consuelo Medrano, Gustavo Vargas, Jim Regusci, Nicolas De Luna

DIRECTED AND EDITED BY: Eva Rendle

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Marian Carrasquero and Eva Rendle

ADDITIONAL CAMERA: Emma Schwartz and JoeBill Muñoz

FIELD TRANSLATION: Marian Carrasquero

CREATIVE ADVISORS: Carrie Lozano, Dawn Porter, and Mike Shen

TECHNICAL ADVISOR: Chris O’Dea

MUSIC SUPERVISOR: Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach

MUSIC BY: Andrew Ching, William Ryan Fritch, and Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach POST-PRODUCTION SOUND: Berkeley Sound Artists

RERECORDING MIXER: James LeBrecht

SOUND DESIGNER: Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach

SOUND EFFECTS EDITOR: Ryan Crowther

DIALOGUE EDITOR: Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach

SOUND SUPERVISOR: Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach

COLOR CORRECTION: Chris O’Dea

ARCHIVAL MATERIALS: Jim and Laura Regusci, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, Michael Short, The Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Now, the hour long documentary has come to the light, titled Mrs. Vera’s Daybook.

During one of the darkest periods in US History, two men decide to bring joy and color to a broken community for which an entire movement has emerged.

Directed and Produced by Robert James, Mrs. Vera’s Daybook, a NuReality Production, tells a story of historic activism and community art through the works of two San Francisco artists, David Faulk and Michael Johnstone, who also happen to be long-term AIDS survivors.

Becoming the unofficial costumers of the SF Pride Parade, the Verasphere Community has grown as the years go by. Supporters, fellow activists and members of the Queer Art Community join the film to help paint this vivid portrait of perseverance, compassion and outrageous dime-store fashion.[pullquote size=”medium” align=”right”]Watch Mrs. Vera’s Daybook from NuReality Productions  [/pullquote]Having received the coveted Community Grand Marshal appointment for the SF PRIDE Parade in 2019, Daybook subjects celebrate 25 years of making sensational art together.

Directors Statement,  Mrs. Vera’s Daybook

A flamboyant subject from a feature documentary film I made wrote me an email and said ‘You should make a film about Mrs. Vera’.  I didn’t know who or what Mrs. Vera was but after speaking with several people in the San Francisco art world, I set up a meeting.  I soon learned that Mrs. Vera and the Verapshere was a costume-art collaboration born during desperate times when two people fell in love. Michael Johnstone and David Faulk, both long-term AIDS survivors met at a time when love was the last thing they were looking for.

This story turned into the Short Film VERASPHERE: A Love story in Costume in the summer of 2019 and aired on Truly CA thru KQED (PBS); but these two men that have created community art together for 25 years and delighted thousands of people was a much bigger story of historic activism and art, so we kept shooting.

This may be the sweetest film I’ve ever made.  The idea that something shimmering and magnificent could spring from the plague years in San Francisco may not be the most original story, but the alien art experience offered for free by two loving souls that wish to include everyone sure is.

Director Bio

Robert began his film-making career at the age of 46 in 2009.

After 3 semesters of film production classes, he left school to intern for a celebrated documentary filmmaker in Los Angeles. Traveling the world with camera in hand he assisted on several projects learning videography and editing skills. This led to Robert co-directing his first short film ‘Library of Dust’ in 2011.  

Producing that film and winning several awards inspired him to launch right into future projects and soon after NuReality Productions was born.  This small independent documentary film company located in Berkeley has fostered many talented collaborators that would assist in an array of diverse media ventures. Two documentary short films, a doc feature film and a five-part series along with a rich collection of commercial work, music video and web content has Robert and his crew busy with several future projects in the works.

Producers Bio

Since moving from Humboldt County to the SF Bay Area in 2011, Nick Blond has worked as a freelance videographer, capturing and editing commercial productions, corporate events, music videos, and award winning documentaries including Ruminations (2018), VERASPHERE: A Love Story in Costume (2019), and King of the Road (2019).

Though focusing primarily on editing, Nick has worn almost every hat in the industry at one point or another.  With a wide range of projects under his belt, Nick finds most of his passion in telling lesser-known stories that educate, challenge, or otherwise make an impact on viewers and promote positive social change.

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[aside label=”More from the Verasphere” link1=” https://veraspherefilm.com/the-filmmakers” link2=”https://www.kqed.org/news/11826872/all-you-want-is-to-be-believed-the-impacts-of-unconscious-bias-in-health-care“]

Production Credits

Written, Produced and Directed by Robert James

Executive Producer – Howard Grothe

Produced, Edited and Co-Written by Nick Blond

Cinematographer – Rudy Behrens

Original Music by Steven Clark & Andy Cowitt

Cast

David Faulk

Michael Johnstone

Dave Christenson

Nicola Bosco-Alvarez

Don Bapst

Jon Harris

Larry Boly

Jack Collins

Ron Cordova

Mark Trevorrow

Julie Blankenship

Dale Van Dusen

Michael Wertz

Cameron Wolf

Annie Sprinkle

Beth Stevens

Joshua Grannell

Nell Jehu

Daniel Dagucon

Sean Lord

Andy Cowitt

Crew Cont’d

Production Sound – Steven Lagosh

Camera Operator – Nick Blond

Additional Camera – Susan Bradley, Robert James, Julian King, Ruby Rieke

Additional Media Provided by – Michael Johnstone, Rick Gerharter, Don Bapst, Ben Iliili, Qi Zheng, Sean Lord

Title Design and Motion Graphics – Susan Bradley

Additional Motion Graphics – Nick Blond

Sound Mixer – Dan Olmsted

Colorist – Mark Sterne

Archival Footage Courtesy of Michael Johnstone, Emma King, Mark Trevorrow, Eric Smith, Rand McIlvenna, Oddball Films, KPIX CBS Bay Area, Warner Bros. Television, ABC7, Kron 4, KOFY-TV

Fiscal Sponsorship Provided by Center for Independent Documentary

Legal Clearance – Justine Jacob

Special Thanks

Very Special Thanks – Anthony Cianciola, California Academy of Sciences San Francisco, Carl Linkhart, Carolyn Johnston, D’Arcy Drollinger, Ethan Rayvasg, Frameline, Gabrielle Javier, Heklina, Irene Tsouprake Holombo & Hilarious Family, Jennifer Kroot, Jon Harris, Kat Kai, Mark O’Connell & Elliott Fabian

Special Thanks To Our Contributors – Alex Nellas, Anne Whiteside, Antonio Leony, Bruce, Cameron Wolfe, Devon Popora, Francoise Herrmann, Gary Hutton, Gloria Kemper, Jean Johnston, Jeff Jackman, Jennifer Kilpatrick, Kay Jones, Marcello Forte, Mary Lanin, Michael Cullen & Gerald Lawson, Nancy Freedman, Peter Toscani, Radu Raduta, and Sheila-Merle Johnson

Following patients and frontline workers on the ground, The Desert reveals the multifaceted impact of the loss of a major safety net institution as those in the community travel further and overcome barriers to care. The Desert begins more than three years after Doctors Medical Center closed in 2015.  Across the street from the vacant hospital, we meet an urgent care staff, many of whom worked at the hospital’s emergency department for years. Millie Callen, a non-emergency clinical worker near the previously existing Doctors Medical Center, who describes the influx of patients and the limited resources to meet all the needs of those who come in, some of whom think the clinic is an emergency department.

First responders take a call, in The DesertOf the many issues that come with a hospital closure, clinic workers and doctors also cite the unavoidable outcome that comes from serving mostly uninsured and Medi-cal/Medicare patients: the gradual shutdown of major hospital departments over time, and the sacrifices many of the staff made to keep the hospital alive, and the ultimate burden on the patients to find help elsewhere.

Directors Statement

When I began research about Doctors Medical Center, it struck me that it’s not rare in our country for a hospital to close. I read about hospitals closing in rural communities and others moving out of poor, predominantly black and brown neighborhoods into richer ones. I wanted to capture the lived experience and deepen our understanding beyond just reading words on a page. I wanted to see and hear the faces and voices of the people directly impacted by the loss of an institution so many of us take for granted.

I knew this film needed to be a 360° view of the community. It was obvious to look for the patients who were impacted but it became clearer every day that the impact is uniquely felt too by the frontline workers — the first responders, the doctors, nurses, clinicians and staffers. Those on the ground, with direct experience navigating the hospital desert, hold the most valuable information and perspective. But their lives and immediate expertise are seldom seen or heard, which I feel is changing now during COVID-19 as people turn to those in the eye of the storm for insight.

It’s imperative now more than ever to take a hard and critical look at the cracks in the American health care system. This film is a deep plunge into one community’s grappling with a system that forced a hospital to fail. My hope for The Desert is that it will encourage people to look in their own backyard and think of the unseen but real lives adapting every day.

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[aside label=”More on The Desert and Health Care Bias” link1=” https://www.thedesertfilm.com/” link2=”https://www.kqed.org/news/11826872/all-you-want-is-to-be-believed-the-impacts-of-unconscious-bias-in-health-care]

Production Credits

Director, director of photography, editor – Bo Kovitz

Additional camera – Sarah Cahlan, Lucas Guilkey, Lisa Hornak

Sound recordists – Sarah Cahlan, Jean-Philippe Dobrin, Lucas Guilkey, Hao Guo, Sybil Patten

Translations – Nuria Marquez Martinez, Betty Marquez Rosales, JoeBill Munoz

Advisors – Dawn Porter, Carrie Lozano, Mike Shen, Andres Cediel, Kara Platoni, Tina Sacks, Chris O’ Dea, RIck Johnson

Composers – William Ryan Fritch, Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach, William Sammons

Post Production Sound – Berkeley Sound Artists

Sound Supervisor – Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach

Rerecording Mixer – Bijan Sharifi

Sound Designer – William Sammons

Sound Effects Editor – Ryan Crowther

Dialogue Editor – Alyssa Nevarez

Color Correction – Chris O’ Dea

I arrived at a state prison in Vacaville, California, with a cart full of video equipment and two fellow reporters from KQED. We had come to meet with a group of transgender inmates and learn about their experience behind bars.

Prison is a challenging environment by any measure, but for the roughly two dozen transgender women living here alongside nearly 2500 men, there are unique challenges — not just for the women, but also for the prison staff responsible for keeping everyone safe.

The California prison system (like most) has long been set up along traditional gender lines — there are prisons for men and other ones for women, with a current total of 35 institutions located in every region of the state. But in recent years, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has had to contend with a growing number of offenders who do not fit into a binary gender classification system.

Take Jazzie Paradize Scott, for example, who said she’s been taking hormones since she was 16.

“I’ve always had my mom and my father’s approval of being a trans woman,” she said. “It was just always about getting my life together and stop making so many careless mistakes. Like this — ending up in prison.”

The CDCR has designated certain prisons as hubs for transgender inmates, where support services and resources can be clustered. The prison I visited, California Medical Facility (CMF), is one of those hubs, and it’s also a prison where inmates with medical and mental health needs are placed for better access to health care.

Scott is on her third tour of prison and wants to put what remains of her time inside to good use. She was elected to represent other transgender prisoners on the inmate advisory council and successfully lobbied to create a weekly workout club for transgender women, complete with a prison staffer as a fitness coach.

“It took a long journey with a long fight, but I was able to work with staff on talking to the right people to get it done,” Scott said.

Today’s workout began with a simple, brisk walk around the perimeter of the gym, with a couple of women following along in their wheelchairs. While one group pedaled stationary bikes, another group played a high energy game of half-court basketball that left them drenched in sweat. Afterwards, Scott led the group through a series of stretches to cool down.

The point of the workout club, said Scott, was “to be able to let our hair down and wear our makeup and our gym shorts” in a safe environment. In fact, while they were inside the gym, the women could take off their prison blues and wear sports bras, tank tops, and leggings. Once the workout was over, they had to once again don their prison-issued pants and loose-fitting blue shirts before exiting the gym.

‘I Never Saw Myself as a Guy’

Gender identity and expression inside prison is more than a matter of getting to dress as one would like. Transgender people face harassment, hatred and violence both outside and inside prison.

“Since I was a child, I felt like I was a girl,” said Yekaterina Wesa Patience when we sat down to talk. “No matter what nobody told me, I just never, I never saw myself as a guy.”

[pullquote size=”medium” align=”right” citation=”Yekaterina Wesa Patience”]“I immediately cut all my hair off, grew facial hair and never grew it long again. I had to act like the toughest person I could find.”[/pullquote]

Her family, she said, could not accept that.

“My father literally would beat me, sometimes every day, just to get me to act like a boy — to toughen me up,” she said.

By 14, Patience said she had left home, and before long, ended up in jail. She’s been in prison since 1996 for first-degree murder, a crime she committed when she was 18.

Inside prison, the violence continued. Patience said she was raped twice by other prisoners. In response, she tried to hide her identity.

“I immediately cut all my hair off, grew facial hair and never grew it long again,” she said. “I had to act like the toughest person I could find.”

Even today she searches her memory for what she could have done differently to prevent the assaults.

There are too many stories of transgender prisoners being attacked, beaten, raped or killed behind bars. While violence and sexual assault inside prison is a widespread problem, a 2007 study by UC Irvine researchers found that transgender prisoners are 13 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than their cisgender counterparts. That statistic is even more striking given that transgender prisoners make up only about 1% of the total prison population in California.

Under the pressure of federal law and numerous prisoner-led lawsuits, California’s prison system has been making changes to ensure greater safety for all its prisoners and also to make accommodations for the needs of transgender people.

In settling a lawsuit brought by transgender inmate Shiloh Quine, the department in 2015 started allowing access to apparel previously reserved for female prisoners at women’s prisons — items like bras, clothing, makeup and jewelry. Similar policies were put into place for transgender men at women’s prisons.

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During one of the weekly meetings of a transgender support group, which gathers in a bright room lined with blue couches, I asked about the makeup. To me, makeup seemed like one of the niceties of life that I hadn’t expected to see on a list of prison canteen items.

“I love my pinks,” said Cary CJay Smith, showing me a couple tubes of lip gloss. Her eyelids were also dusted a soft shade of pink. “This one is for my eyes, the volumizing,” she said, holding up a bright yellow tube of mascara.

With a wink, she showed me what else she used the mascara for.

“I cover up my gray with it,” she said, brushing the wand’s bristles against her hair. “Just a little bit on the side.”

Many of the prisoners who have been inside for a long time said getting access to makeup was a big deal.

“It used to be that we didn’t have real makeup and we had to improvise,” said David Bella Birrell. “Like getting China markers for eyebrow stuff.”

Or mixing Koolaid and Chapstick to make lipstick, added Birrell, who’s been incarcerated since 1983 for first-degree murder.

Smith also shared one of her hacks.

“I use a toothpaste box — Colgate — and I get a Q-tip, and I can rub baby oil along the red part of the box,” she said. “I can make me a little eyeshadow, a little pink eyeshadow.”

The support group is also where more serious topics get discussed. An animated argument flared up about whether one inmate was adequately dressed on a recent hot day.

“I was sitting in my cell and it’s almost 90 [degrees]. I’m sitting with just my bra and my shorts, facing the wall,” said Rachael Goosen. When a passing corrections officer reprimanded her for being inappropriately dressed, Goosen was upset. “When I’m at my bed area, that’s my area and I can dress as I feel,” she said.

But Smith disagreed, advocating that trans women should err on the side of modesty.

“As a woman, you should want to be covered,” Smith said. “I keep my mumu on. I mean I don’t care how hot it is.”

Women in Men’s Prisons

California prisons don’t have special housing units dedicated to transgender inmates. Instead, they are generally housed in the same type of cells as other men and in some cases share dorms with more than a hundred people.

How a prisoner is assigned to a particular cell at a particular prison is based on a complex calculus that incorporates his or her crime, personal profile, past behavior inside prison, requests or preferences and the types and availability of programs at individual prisons.

“We have a classification process for our offenders that allows for a case by case review,” said Amy Miller, associate director of the CDCR’s female offender programs.

During the support group, we injected ourselves into the discussion to ask the members for their opinion: Should transgender women be housed in a women’s prison?

The reactions were mixed.

Patience said housing transgender and cisgender women together would alleviate her safety concerns. “If you identify as a female then I think you should be housed around females,” she said. “I think that would eliminate a lot of the problems of being sexually assaulted or being raped, pressured.”

[pullquote size=”medium” align=”right” citation=”Yekaterina Wesa Patience”]“If you identify as a female then I think you should be housed around females. I think that would eliminate a lot of the problems of being sexually assaulted or being raped, pressured.”[/pullquote]

Ava Marie Fey, who began taking hormones last year, said she hopes to eventually obtain gender affirmation surgery and be transferred to a women’s prison.

“I’d love to go over to the female institution instead of this,” Fey said.

But Mark Peaches Cates said she was happy where she was.

“I wouldn’t like it because I love men,” Cates said. “I’d rather be right here with a bunch of men instead of with a bunch of women.”

Last year, Democratic state Senator Scott Wiener, who represents San Francisco, had advanced legislation to allow transgender prisoners to be housed at the prison of their choice. It stalled in the fall, but Wiener said he plans to push an amended bill this year.

Several members of the transgender support group questioned how such a law would be enforced. How would prison officials know if someone was sincere about identifying and living as a woman? What if there are men who game the system simply in order to get inside a women’s facility?

CDCR’s Miller said the department was working on updating its housing classification policy but could not comment on what changes it is considering.

[aside label=”More of our reporting” link1=”https://www.kqed.org/news/11794850/transgender-prisoners-transition-in-lockup-becoming-more-and-more-of-me,Transgender Prisoners Transition in Lockup” link2=”https://www.kqed.org/news/11794221/could-changing-how-transgender-inmates-are-housed-make-prison-safer-for-them,Could Changing How Transgender Inmates Are Housed Make Prison Safer for Them?”]

A Long Journey

California’s prison system is one of the largest in the country, with around 114,000 inmates in its care. How the department continues to evolve and adapt to an increasingly diverse inmate population is being watched by other states, advocates, and of course, prisoners.

Ongoing lawsuits continue to push for further reform, from improving access to healthcare to buttressing prisoner safety, while officials scrutinize yearly whether the prisons have done enough to prevent sexual assault.

All the prisoners I spoke with said that things could be better. But they also agreed that life for transgender prisoners has come a long way and that they felt especially safe at CMF.

Prison officials said their hub system of grouping transgender prisoners together is working — together with changes to policy and prison culture.

“This is the first prison I’ve ever been to that actually had a transgender community,” Patience said.

She said she started growing her hair out again after coming to CMF, as well as wearing jewelry and makeup.

“It was actually probably the biggest load I’ve ever taken off my shoulders, when I just stopped saying I was going to be what everybody else wanted me to be,” said Patience.

As the weekly support group wound down, people broke off into smaller clumps, starting personal discussions. Goosen and another woman compared rock ‘n’ roll to hip hop music. Patience had a computer class to attend. Scott got ready to start her shift as a janitor.

“It’s been a long journey, but I’m comfortable in my skin,” Scott said. “I’m blessed to be where I’m at right now.”

Production Credits

Director & Producer: Monica Lam
Editor: Dina Maria Munsch
Camera & Sound: Sruti Mamidanna, Monica Lam
Co-Reporter: Miranda Leitsinger
Executive Producer: Annelise Wunderlich
Post Production:Roger Chiang, Tony Cox, Simon Hui, Kim McCalla, Amy Miller, Vivian Morales
Managing Editor of Digital: Julia B. Chan
Managing Editor of News: Vinnee Tong
Executive Editor of News: Ethan Toven-Lindsey