South Main R: Kelly Parker Land: USA2008 Drehformat: DV Format: HDcam, Farbe Länge: 77 Minuten Sprache: Englisch mehr Informationen

Um die Gewalt auf den Straßen und grassierende Gang-Delikte einzudämmen, beschloss die Stadtverwaltung im Dezember 2004, einen kompletten Wohnblock in South Central Los Angeles zu räumen und abzureißen. Die Bewohner, von staatlicher Unterstützung abhängig und unterhalb der Armutsgrenze lebend, erhielten eine Abfindung und mussten kurzfristig umziehen. Der Film begleitet drei afroamerikanische Frauen, alle allein erziehende Mütter, in ihr Leben am neuen Wohnort. [aus dem Forumprogramm]

How would you describe the aesthetics of your film?
Balanced, precisely framed shots filmed with a fixed camera. The images are clear.

Why did you choose to shoot on a digital format (was it solely for financial reasons, or did aesthetics play a role)?
A digital camera is a tool that I know how to use. I had to shoot on a camera that I would have access to every time I needed it. I own the DVX100. Of course I chose to buy that camera because it can record really beautiful images. I've also seen footage from the DVX look really beautiful when transferred to a 35mm film print.

It's more common to see documentary films recorded in video rather than film these days and there's definitely a politics attached to that which I support. DV formats give a voice to some people who otherwise couldn't afford to make a film. Video also has an innate sense of urgency. I think it has to do with the frame rate, which more closely mimics real life than film does. I think that the politics and urgency of video can help to make a film more realistic –in a broader sense than simply relying on the films form.

Since I shot South Main over a period of nine months, at least one day a week without a fixed shooting schedule, I often worked alone. The nature of the film sort of demanded that I be there alone with the women while shooting. I needed to be able to do all of the recording alone, sound and image, so video made the most sense.

One bad word about DV / HDV (or two):
When shooting DV, the wide shots lose detail. I also get discouraged by the vibrating interlace lines created by high contrast areas of the image or by telephone lines for example. Moret patterns created by thick patterned high contrast areas too. I try to avoid these things when I shoot. I wish all of the telephone and electric lines were underground. I don't think that the HDV format does much better.