I Am Los Angeles
To understand why this city is an easy home for so many, the city and its residents must be seen from the knowing eyes of an Angeleno. I Am Los Angeles is an online collection of documentary portraits that feature the first-hand experiences and stories ...
To understand why this city is an easy home for so many, the city and its residents must be seen from the knowing eyes of an Angeleno. I Am Los Angeles is an online collection of documentary portraits that feature the first-hand experiences and stories of unique and intriguing personalities in Los Angeles.
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Self Portrait
Inspired by 'Self Portrait' (David Whyte, 1992) Narration: Steve ChiotakisCast: ...
Inspired by 'Self Portrait' (David Whyte, 1992) Narration: Steve ChiotakisCast: I Am Los Angeles and Joris DebeijTags:
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The Kid
Despite having two professional teams and many European stars in ...
Despite having two professional teams and many European stars in Los Angeles, soccer still struggles to compete in popularity with American sports like Basketball, Football and Baseball. In Southern California, Chivas Guadalajara, a team that is hugely popular in Mexico, has brought many of the area's most dedicated fans to soccer. Leo, who used to be a Galaxy fan but now plays for the Under 14 league of Chivas USA, usually can't wait the school day to be over so he can practice soccer. He may be young, but he knows that repetition and conditioning are the best ways to hone his skills. One of his favorite tricks is this one: while juggling, you move your foot in a circle around the ball. He managed to do it once, but he tries tirelessly to master it...he works on it over and over again after school and homework are done. On the rare occasion that he gets tired, he thinks about how great would it be to play for one of Europe's best soccer teams--FC Barcelona, with one of the if not the best player in the world Lionel Messi. But if he ended up on a professional team in the US, well, Leo says that would be great too.Cast: I Am Los Angeles and Joris DebeijTags: Leo, Perez, Chivas, USA, Los Angeles and soccer
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On Air
It has been estimated that a resident of LA County ...
It has been estimated that a resident of LA County will spend an estimated 4 days each year stuck in traffic. There's an extensive network of freeways that's been built to handle over twelve million cars on a daily basis. But traffic here is still so notoriously congested that even if you're from out of town, you're not likely to be surprised by the excruciatingly slow crawl that is the 405 freeway during rush hour. Sitting in gridlocked traffic is boring, frustrating, even lonely. Listening to traffic on the radio isn't likely to make you feel much better, but if there's just one traffic reporter who would snap you out of your bitter mood, it would be Kajon Cermak on KCRW. There is something different about the way Kajon does her traffic reporting -- her voice seems to express just the right amount of empathy for your plight, even if she never says the words. When Kajon Cermak came to Southern California on one of the very same freeways traversed by daily commuters, she had little more than what was packed in her car. Driving through the palm tree lined landscape, she was far from the midwestern city where she had spent most of her life. On her journey bridging the old and new chapters in her life were friendly voices, tunes and information -- all courtesy of local radio stations along the route to Los Angeles. It was later that Kajon, a one-time aspiring actress, would find herself working for a Southern California radio station. She had gotten her start working at a smaller station in Thousand Oaks, when a surprise call from the local NPR affiliated station, KCRW, gave her a new break. Today Kajon runs the board and does the traffic for All Things Considered on KCRW. It doesn't matter whether if you are new in town or a long-time Angeleno, the rush hour commute is really never enjoyable. But have you ever been surprised to find yourself sitting an extra minute in the driveway or the garage while your local radio correspondent finishes up a report or story? Now, if only they could find a way to report on tomorrow's traffic, the night before... You can find more films from Los Angeles at iamlosangeles.comCast: I Am Los Angeles, Joris Debeij, KCRW and NPRTags: Kajon, Cermak, KCRW, all, things, considered, npr, santa, monica, steve, chiotakis, radio, public, traffic, 405, freeway, pacific coast highway, 1 and california
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No Faking the Funk
It takes a lot to intimidate Josh, a native Texan, ...
It takes a lot to intimidate Josh, a native Texan, who moved with his family to Venice Beach in the mid 80's. Venice was a different place then, the streets were ruled by gangs, surfers and skaters. Sometimes you had to run and sometimes you had to fight for your ground. It wasn't long before Josh was going by the nickname Texas in surfing and skating. Life throws curve balls including the occasional economical downturn. Josh works as a wood floor maker, and times have not been easy. As challenging that can be, Josh is in balance because of his passion for music. But music has always been in Josh's life. He was raised in a very musical family, and he was just a kid when he chose the trumpet to be his voice. Josh has been jamming ever since he was young, and learning more and more every day. When Josh was introduced to the world of jazz in Los Angeles he started going to spots like the World Stage in Leimart Park-- where the doors were opened by the legendary Billy Higgins. It can be intimidating at times... if you don't know the song, then you have to stay seated until a song you recognize comes along. Josh walks into the World Stage, and the joint is filled with experienced jazz musicians. The jam session rolls on and Josh takes a seat. When his chance comes he stands up and walks onto the stage. As he puts the horn to his lips and begins to jam, you can practically see the rest of everything begin to drift away. Check out more of the films at iamlosangeles.comCast: I Am Los Angeles and Joris DebeijTags: jazz, josh, koslow, leimart, park, venice, beach, trumpet, horn, world, stage, HD, los, angeles, music, live, billy, higgins and legend
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The Escape Artist
There's something a true artist of any discipline knows better ...
There's something a true artist of any discipline knows better than everyone else in Los Angeles. It's the fact that opening up your heart and expressing yourself to the world without reservation sounds simple but can be one of the most difficult things a person will ever do. Balancing this act with the natural inclination to seek acceptance and approval from others is an extremely delicate thing. Eliot Rausch was an emotional kid growing up in the South Bay area, and he could tell that not many others were like him. He didn't feel like he fit in, but he did grow up in a loving and supportive family. Once he was a teenager Eliot found himself on a very dark path involving heavy substance abuse, which continued for some time. Some people never make it out of this mode, but Eliot would have an experience that would change everything for him. One night when Eliot was out riding in a car with a friend, there was a terrible accident and the car crashed. Both Eliot and his friend walked away. It was a miracle, and a sign too strong to be ignored. Eliot had to face himself, and consider whether he would keep walking this path or make a drastic change in his life. Eliot chose courage, and embraced the love from his friends and family. With time he learned to accept himself and his vision as an artist. He resumed work on his craft of filmmaking and today enjoys considerable success on account of his talent and vision. We highly recommend taking a look at his work; eliotrausch.com More portraits at iamlosangeles.comCast: I Am Los Angeles, Eliot Rausch and Joris DebeijTags: eliot, rausch, director, storyteller, HD, canon, glidecam, los angeles, editor and documentary
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Out of the Boundary
This is the unlikely story about how Katy Haber became ...
This is the unlikely story about how Katy Haber became the city of Compton's Ambassador to cricket, and how learning the game became a life-changing event for a former Compton gang member named Sergio. Katy was raised in the UK, and grew up playing cricket. Many years later in LA, she and a friend of hers named Ted Hayes began playing the game together. They had already discovered their common passion for helping those with less privilege, and it didn't take long for them to decide they could help keep youngsters out of gangs by giving them the opportunity to get involved with a cricket team. This idea turned out to be the genesis of the Compton Cricket Club. Sergio, in Compton, had never heard of a game called cricket. When he first began to hear about the game from Katy, he visualized a small race track with actual crickets. He had no way of knowing that this game would be changing his life. But drawn to the novelty of the game, and the idea that he could be one of just a few guys in Los Angeles that could play, Sergio dedicated himself to the game with purpose. Ever since then, he and Katy have been part of the club -- Sergio as a player, and Katy as team advisor. By now the Compton Cricket Club team has toured through several continents. Together they've gone way out of the boundary by discovering the world and changing peoples' minds about what they could do.Cast: I Am Los Angeles and Joris DebeijTags: cricket, Compton, Club, Katy Haber, boundary, los angeles, south, central, homies, sport, HD and canon
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Hollywoodland
It goes without saying that there are a lot of ...
It goes without saying that there are a lot of people striving to become actors in Hollywood. But for every bright young talent that arrives in Los Angeles aiming to work hard at honing his or her acting skills in the hopes of one day becoming an actor, there are few more aspiring actors of a different variety that showed up on the same day. This second type really just wants to be able to tell folks back home that they're here -- and for as long as they manage to stay, they've made it. Gradually they become part of the landscape, and will continue to put in minimal effort for years, content to say the world missed out on their acting genius before they head home. That still leaves Los Angeles with a lot of people working really hard toward their dream, and they conjure a certain stereotype: the struggling actor, bussing tables and standing in line at auditions. But generalizations about aspiring actors don't accurately represent how Jason H. Christopher sees himself or the road he's traveling. He's carrying out a carefully calculated plan, and to some extent he's at the mercy of others for their attention. But he isn't helpless and struggling. He is creating and using the inertia that will help him in his pursuit to become a successful working actor. Jason grew up in Redlands, California, and he always enjoyed acting and showing off for a crowd. After a brief career in real estate, he took the money he made and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his passion for acting. Here he is the man with a plan, and so far that plan has brought him relative success -- the actor has played in numerous national commercial campaigns and several web series. Day in and day out, he works relentlessly on every aspect of himself and his craft, including exercising his mind and his fitness level. Jason tells us what it takes to stay at the top of your game in Hollywood despite the pressure. More portraits at iamlosangeles.comCast: I Am Los AngelesTags:
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On His Way Back
Paul Mitchel grew up in Seattle Washington, in what he ...
Paul Mitchel grew up in Seattle Washington, in what he calls a fairy-tale neighborhood. By this he says, he means the kind of place where kids play in the open streets, the landscape is green, and everyone seems generally happy, being that they’re supported by a sense of family and community. As an adult, Paul started construction work and did well enough to support himself, enabling to live a good life. There was then suddenly a very dark chapter that began for Paul, and disrupted the harmony that existed in his life up until that point. Paul had trouble managing through the challenges of daily life, and things began to unravel. He soon found himself incapable of holding reliable work. Sometime later, he ended up on the streets. Paul made his way to Southern California to live in a place where the climate is more merciful to someone living in the streets, and where he believed there may be hope to begin again. Here in LA, Paul’s dark chapter continued for years with a few ups and a lot of downs. Fortunately, Paul found the support he needed and a safe place to stay with the Skid Row Housing Trust. Skid Row is an area of about 50 square blocks just east of downtown LA, and it has a longstanding history as a residential neighborhood occupied by those with the least. Through the federal Shelter Plus Care program, Paul and other homeless persons with disabilities (and their families) are provided with safe housing and supportive services on a long-term basis. This support and assistance has afforded Paul a chance to start a new chapter in his life. Paul, who was “on his way back” when he shared his heartfelt and inspirational story with I Am Los Angeles, recently got his drivers license back again and is enthusiastic about going back so he can start a new life. To learn more about the Skid Row Housing Trust, go to their website: skidrow.org More portraits at iamlosangeles.comCast: I Am Los Angeles, Joris Debeij and Jump WillyTags: homeless, california, paul, mitchell, painter, art, skid, row and los angeles
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Fine Grooves
Being that he was named after Neil Young, it's fitting ...
Being that he was named after Neil Young, it's fitting for music to be at the center of life for Neil Schield. The Origami Vinyl shop owner grew up in a family of music lovers and recalls that his parents have always had a particularly strong attachment their album collection. Even before Origami Vinyl, Neil spent his fair share of time on the commercial side of the music industry -- he worked in the industry during the landmark period when music's transition to iTunes began and started to take hold. Facing a big decision following a brief career stall, Neil took a chance, and broke from his work in digital music. He decided to go back to where his love of music started when he was younger, which was with vinyl. Now, well frankly, he lives in the best of all possible worlds. He's carved out his little space in the world of music at Origami Vinyl. Neil spends his days surrounded by the music that has meaning to him, and he makes a living by sharing it with others who have a similar appreciation. Neil is a back to basics kind of guy, and he wanted to go back in time to be closer to the experience and the authenticity he cherished in one of recorded music's first carriers. If you ask Neil, he'll tell you how vinyl brings back the warmth in the room. How it gathers everybody to go and stand around the record player, experiencing the music in a more complete way. But instead of taking his word for it, you should probably just take those earbuds out and go experience some vinyl for yourself. It's good for the soul! More Portraits @ iamlosangeles.comCast: I Am Los Angeles and Joris DebeijTags: Origami, Vinyl, Neil, Schield, Records, Echo, Park, Los Angeles and music
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Dreamer
Welcome to the Freedom Barbershop at the Veterans Affairs campus ...
Welcome to the Freedom Barbershop at the Veterans Affairs campus in West LA. To many Veterans, this little trailer shop something akin to an island oasis in the thrashing sea. It is a place where personal burdens, internal pressures and anxieties gathered from life experience willingly recede, for here is the forgiving company and calming presence of a fellow comrade. Sit in the chair and receive a shave, a haircut, or a few shared jokes. And for the ones who need it, gentle advice flows from a man who dedicates his time to serve to Veterans who proudly served us, but now walk all paths of life. Some of their spirits are still proud, others broken. Dreamer, they call him, is himself a Veteran, and has an effortlessly strong and tranquil presence that seems to give him the ability to gently wash away his customers’ thoughts of the world’s troubles. Dreamer believes it’s important to give this back to the men and women who served their country. It may seem a little thing, to give a haircut for free or for whatever the customer can afford. From time to time, Dreamer might be paid with a few rumpled bills found in a jacket pocket or with the gift of a rubber band ball. But he has a good heart, and he offers his time and his service while he listens to his customers’ stories of past and present day. At night, Dreamer goes out onto the streets, talking, living and surviving the darker hours of the day with fellow Veterans who live on the streets of West LA. Dreamer has amassed memories of many men their stories, which he shares so willingly, so compassionately, and empathetically you’d think they were his own. We highly recommend a visit to meet Dreamer, and the other brave men sharing a few relaxed moments in his little barbershop on any given day. More portraits @ iamlosangeles.comCast: I Am Los Angeles, Joris Debeij and ThePilotsTags: Dreamer, Veterans, Affairs, VA, Los Angeles, West, Barbershop, tony, bravo, freedom and haircut
