A new documentary by independent film studio Bluewater Media explores how one section of Los Angeles embraced its multiculturalism even when discrimination plagued the rest of America.
"East LA Interchange" isn't finished yet, but the trailer gives a glimpse of what to expect. Boyle Heights' history of harmony from the 1930s and onward is revealed through interviews with residents and academics, raising the question of whether such accordance can be replicated on a larger scale as the United States gravitates toward becoming a minority-majority country.
"Boyle Heights is the richest area that I've ever been in contact with," director Betsy Kalin said in an interview. "How do you choose one amongst the million great stories? That was the biggest struggle."
Since the film is still a work-in-progress, the people behind it are appealing to the public for donations.
"Many of our subjects are in their 80s and 90s. There is an urgent need to capture these subjects' stories in their own words before they are lost to us forever," they wrote, perhaps not so delicately.
To read more about the film and learn how to donate, visit this site.
