A hybrid short creative film about the gentrification of San Francisco’s Mission District.
WHEN: Friday, May 4th, 2018
WHERE: Artist Television Access 992 Valencia Street San Francisco
TIMES & COST: 7pm & 9pm $10 NOTAFLOF
Announcing the release of the newest short film, THE HOUSE ON LUCKY STREET written and directed by award-winning filmmaker, Shani Heckman, with the production company, Shanestar Productions, Inc. a San Francisco based activist-art media production 501c3 non-profit, whose creative works focuses on social justice and LGBTQ equity.
Filmed in the Mission District in January 2018, with support from the San Francisco Arts Commission’s 2017 Individual Artist Grant, the film explores the housing crisis through the story of Matteo Florez, played by Gabe Sanchez from Killing My Lobster, the last Latinx artist living in a haunted house and the resident ghost, Carmelita Reyes played by Amytra.
When she witnesses Matteo receiving his final eviction notice on his rent-controlled apartment then over-hears the real estate agent plans to sell the building for over a million dollars, Carmelita gets fired up, awoken from a long rest. She joins Matteo in his eviction fight acting as a helpful and historical poltergeist who shares stories from others displaced over the decades. These tenant’s activism provides Matteo with ideas and emotional fuel for his fight to stay in his home.
Carmelita’s poltergeist infiltrates Matteo’s electronic devices with historical footage of past displacements and other tenants who fight back to keep their homes. From the Fillmore to the Bayview to the Mission District today, mass evictions for ‘redevelopment’ is nothing new.
Based on hundreds of true stories, and her own experience living in the Mission District the past 15 years, with a focus on authenticity, The House on Lucky Street, stars local housing rights activist, Tommi Avicolli Mecca, and features dialogue in both Spanish and English.
The project blends immersive 360 bicycling footage around San Francisco with high-resolution 4k cinematic video on Panasonic’s Lumix, using new technologies to present this hybrid film.
Production Company, Shanestar Productions: Shanestar Productions, Inc creates educational films supporting LGBTQ social justice issues. Our award-winning films, Wrong Bathroom (2005) brought attention to gender discrimination in gender-specific restrooms and America’s Most Unwanted (2012) brought attention to the thousands of LGBTQ Foster Youth struggling to find permanent families.
“A fountain by Ruth Asawa … depicts images of the Cliff House, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, the Seal of San Francisco, the band Jefferson Airplane, Francis Scott Key, and other San Francisco sights and figures, among other historical figures.” - wiki
The intricacy and detail on this piece is stunning. I love everyday masterpieces like these.
(Top: Sign in front of J. Paul Leonard Library Gallery at San Francisco State University announcing “Marching Though History” exhibition 2013) (Bottom: Detail shot of Cathy Murphy’s photo, “Cesar Chavez with his dogs, Boycott and Huelga”)
AboutCathy Murphy: When Brooks Institute of Photography opened its doors to female students in the mid-70s, Cathy moved to Santa Barbara to continue her photographic studies. While working as a photographic stringer for the Santa Barbara News and Review, she met one of America’s great Civil Rights leaders, Cesar E. Chavez. After seeing some of Cathy’s photographs, Chavez offered her the position of Staff Photographer for United Farm Workers. Like all UFW volunteers, Cathy was provided housing, a food allowance and $5 per week in wages. Cathy accepted the position and continued to photograph the entire “Thousand Mile March.”
For more than two years, first with the UFW then with a grant from the Woody Guthrie Foundation, Cathy worked in the fields documenting the plight of the farm workers and their children who often worked from dawn until dusk in what Chavez called “the killing fields.” Cathy’s photographs were used by the UFW to rally support for ending child labor and inhumane working conditions. Through her friendship with Cesar and his family, Cathy also captured the personal side of his life as seen in her collection “Marching Through History with Cesar Chavez and the Farm Workers.” (Cathy Murphy - “Cesar Chavez talking to UFW Supporters King City, California” 1975)
On my last day in the Bay Area we visited “Marching Through History”with Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers exhibition. The “Marching Through History” exhibit was a Photo Documentary by Cathy Murphy. Which was held on the campus of San Francisco State University at the J. Paul Leonard Library Gallery and was sponsored by the Labor Archives and Research Center. We attended the “Marching Through History” exhibition on the first day of instruction for many at SFSU, which was not as hectic as I thought it would have been. Anita also had to tie some ends on campus before she began class the next day.
Top:(“Marching Through History” with Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers) Bottom: (Detail image of: Cathy Murphy’s - “Dolores Huerta and her children attending a wedding at Agbayani Village” 1975)
After standing in a couple lines, we proceeded to make our way through the first day school crowds and arrive at the J. Paul Leonard Library Gallery, to attend Cathy Murphy’s exhibition of rarely seen photographs of Cesar Chavez. I was not familiar with Cathy Murphy’s photos of the UFW prior to attending this exhibition. I had only learned in my research the exhibit focused on photographic images of Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers (UFW). Once at the exhibit I was able to learn more about the story and contributions of Cathy Murphy who first photographed Cesar Chavez in 1975. I became engaged with Cathy’s thought provoking images of Cesar Chavez and the UFW. The photographs along with Cathy’s first-hand accounts enlightened me with in-depth knowledge of UFW history and the struggles for laborers rights during her stint as Cesar’sphotographer. (Cathy Murphy - “Small boy about to lift a pesticide can filled with about 20 pounds of onions” 1976)
The“Marching Through History”with Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers exhibit consisted of mostly black & white photographs, with a few colored images, and period UFW labor ephemera. There were many thought provoking images, two such photos that brought me delight were entitled, “Cesar relaxing during a retreat Sweet’s Mill, California” circa 1976, in which I perceived Cesar still assessing the day during a much deserved break, and “Cesar Chavez with his dogs, Boycott and Huelga” 1975, where it looks as Cesar is enjoying Tonatiuh’s rays with his German shepherd companions. To the somber photos of children working in filled fields like, “Small boy about to lift a pesticide can filled with about 20 pounds of onions" 1976, and the final image in the exhibit was a moving photograph from 1993 entitled, “Richard Chavez saying goodbye to Cesar, his brother and best friend,” which was a photograph of Cesar Chavez being laid to rest as his brother Richard paid his respects to an American farm worker, labor leader and civil rights activist.
Very inspiring exhibition Cathy Murphy, San Francisco State University, and the J. Paul Leonard Library Gallery. Bravo.
I never seem to be capable of organising a relaxing holiday and this two week Californian road trip was no exception. Starting in San Francisco, my boyfriend and I travelled to Yosemite then back down the coast to Los Angeles, stopping at Monterey, Pismo Beach and Santa Barbara. As usual, I had a jam-packed itinerary that would certainly pose a challenge! But amazingly, we managed to fit everything in (except for Disneyland, but that’s still a sore subject).
Below are my artsy highlights, enjoy!:
SFMOMA
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of my all-time favourite galleries. I’m a sucker for a sculpture garden - this one includes a version of Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE text - and the Don’t! Photography and the Art of Mistakes exhibition was a cleverly humorous presentation of purposeful photographic blunders. I also enjoyed seeing so many Alexander Calder mobiles in one space; it took me back to the magical Tate Modern retrospective from a few years ago.
Hearst Castle
Along the Californian coast, roughly halfway between San Fran and LA, lies the grand estate of Hearst Castle. This extravagant landmark was designed to sprawl across a hilltop once the foundation of the Hearst family ranch. William Randolph Hearst, a publishing tycoon, wanted to create a home luxurious and impressive enough to attract even the biggest names from nearby Hollywood during the Roaring Twenties. He worked with the architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947 to design and build this incredible place, which really has to be seen in person to be believed. The surrounding gardens feature sculpture from the Ancient Greek and Egyptian periods, whilst the grand rooms themselves are covered from ceiling to floor in paintings and tapestries, primarily from the Italian Renaissance. One of the real talking points on our tour of the grounds was the two swimming pools: the outdoor Neptune Pool, and the indoor Roman Pool lined with Murano glass tiles.
The Getty
My one regret about our visit to The Getty? Not allocating enough time! We spent just a couple of glorious hours exploring the gardens and galleries, but really this place requires a whole day. I was like a woman possessed wandering around the grounds with a huge grin on my face. And what a beautiful art collection, too: highlights include Still Life with Apples by Paul Cézanne and Van Gogh’s Irises, the latter painted during the artist’s last year of his life spent at an asylum in Saint-Rémy, France, where the vivid blue flowers grew in the institution’s garden.
The Broad
After several recommendations, and owing to our limited time in each location, we decided to cut the LACMA from our LA schedule and visit The Broad instead. This free gallery is located next to Frank Gehry’s iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall building and features a stunning collection of modern art, from Jeff Koons to Andy Warhol, Kara Walker to Yayoi Kusama.
