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says, “This film breathes life and resurrects what is happening on the streets of not only South
Central but in all major suburbs across this country. It focuses a bright beam of light on the social issue that has plagued our country for years...The acting is real, the story is real, and the action
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Jessica Romero, Andrea
Valenzuela, Isamar Guijarro, Sheila Ochoa, and Ilene Trujillo were discovered at local area high schools. Director Alan Jacobs chose local teenagers with no acting experience to maintain the authenticity of the story. Jacobs believed that using real girls familiar with the
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In 2001, out of a class of 979, only 322 students graduated. Lesly began skipping school in 8th grade. While Lesly was in the process of repeating the 9th grade, she was required to attend summer school to make up the missing credits and was offered a mercy “D” if she would describe a day in her
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Erin Oke of
Exclaim. CA describes the film as “a brutal and uncompromising look at an environment characterized by poverty and desperation...The script does well capturing the contrast between the shockingly commonplace physical and sexual violence of gang life and the moments of light-hearted
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It was Jacobs's seventh feature film. The film was
Produced by Scott Alvarez and Frank Aragon. It was Aragon's sixth feature film. In 2001 Aragon won the Golden Eagle award from Nosotros. The art director, Bernardo Trujillo, won the Sierra Award for Best Art Direction for the feature film
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The film was shot on location at Locke High School, where the story was based, as well as at other locations in South
Central and East Los Angeles. These locations were chosen to “evoke the city in all its stark contrasts of privilege and poverty, hope and despair.”
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describes the film as a “gritty, wallop-packing Los
Angeles-set drama...Unflinching (but not gratuitous) in its depiction of domestic violence and girl-on-girl brutality...Disturbingly frank, the film assaults its viewers, but in a very effective way.”
29:
408:, where some of the movie was filmed. Having the reputation as one of the city’s lowest performing schools, Locke High School often witnessed “one of the homegirls or homeboys… get shot or killed or just simply put in jail.”
295:, as she struggles to survive. Surrounded by escalating violence and racial tensions, Rascal realizes her days in the gang are numbered. Encouraged by Mr. Shannon, her English teacher, to apply for a writing program in
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feel more authentic and credible than many of the countless other movies...brings street cred to two of the movie's thorniest topics: urban girl gang bangers, and tensions between L.A. Latinos and
African Americans.”
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focuses on the gritty reality of gang life and the racial tension surrounding it. Ultimately, the film’s message is one of hope to those in tough circumstances while shedding light on a pressing social issue.
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says, “The emotional chemistry among...novice performers, in concert with a few seasoned pros such as Danny Glover, Kate del
Castillo and Snoop Dogg in secondary roles, is one of the things that makes
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The forces around Rascal thrust her into a deadly cycle of violence that seems almost impossible to escape. To leave, she will have to make the dangerous decision to renounce her loyalty to the gang.
423:. Despite continued violence at Locke High School, Green Dot Public Schools has subdued hostility, increased parental involvement, and has organized its educational system into six academies.
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is real...It is moving, motivating and a must see!... It's deserving of a distribution deal ...and as an unofficial entry into next year's Oscar race... It's that good...”
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when Lesly was four years old. Her father worked nights for a demolition company. Her mother was a housewife, raising Lesly and her two younger siblings. Lesly attended
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460:. The Art Directors Guild also nominated Trujillo for Excellence in Production Design for the Oscar-winner
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The film spans one day in the life of
Anjelica Soto, aka “Rascal”, a 15-year-old Latino gang leader in
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girlhood...Lead actress
Jessica Romero is a fresh and vivid presence in her film debut as Rascal.”
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456:(2003) resulted in an Emmy nomination and a nomination for Excellence in Production Design by the
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247:. The story follows one day in her life as she struggles to break away from her gang. Made in
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is coming from. Distributors should look no further than a 2009 Toronto Fest entry
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types of issues depicted in the film would create an honesty to their performances.
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as one of 25 "important examples of Latino artistic and cinematic achievement."
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is based on the actual experiences of Lesly Castillo, born October 4, 1989, in
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says, “Speaking of 2010 Oscar contenders... we're wondering where the next
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Lesly has since renounced her gang ties. She currently is enrolled at
815:"Down for Life - Directed by Alan Jacobs • TIFF Reviews • exclaim.ca"
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style, the film stars many local teens, with veteran actors such as
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767:"LatinoLA | Calendario :: ""Down for Life" at LALIFF 2009""
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based on the true story of a 15-year-old Latina gang leader in
688:"TIFF blogs | Q & A with Down for Life's Alan Jacobs"
834:"Dear Dr. Hayden and Members of The Film Preservation Board"
649:"DeadBunny : GlĂĽcksspiel-Industrie Nachrichten"
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396:. The Castillo family moved to Los Angeles from
472:. Previously, he worked on the soundtracks for
502:Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival
239:is a 2009 American dramatic film directed by
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439:Alan Jacobs, a New York native, directed
279:nominated the film to be included in the
984:Hispanic and Latino American drama films
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468:Vito Colapietro composed the music for
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480:(2005). He also was the composer for
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453:And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself
450:(2002). In 2005, Trujillo’s work on
631:"Essays in Search of Happy Endings"
629:Winerip, Michael (10 August 2005).
498:Toronto International Film Festival
939:American coming-of-age drama films
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832:Castro, Joaquin (March 2, 2021).
606:Avecedo, Nicole (March 3, 2021).
365:Andres Xavier Sanchez as "Sneaky"
16:2009 film directed by Alan Jacobs
564:US Congressional Hispanic Caucus
277:US Congressional Hispanic Caucus
979:2000s coming-of-age drama films
371:Andrea Valenzuela as "Babygirl"
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974:Films about Mexican Americans
949:Films directed by Alan Jacobs
417:Los Angeles Southwest College
374:Isamar Guijarro as "Troubles"
1004:English-language crime films
994:2000s English-language films
186:September 12, 2009
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934:American buddy drama films
311:Jessica Romero as "Rascal"
959:Films shot in Los Angeles
496:was screened at both the
406:South Central Los Angeles
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954:Films set in Los Angeles
944:2000s female buddy films
421:Green Dot Public Schools
733:"Vito A. Colapietro II"
368:Whitney Gamble as Aisha
362:Cesar Garcia as "Flaco"
572:National Film Registry
570:to be included in the
528:Reed Johnson, also of
281:National Film Registry
530:The Los Angeles Times
509:The Los Angeles Times
380:as Extra (uncredited)
267:in supporting roles.
999:2000s American films
795:. September 11, 2009
789:"TIFF movie reviews"
676:. 14 September 2009.
353:as Officer Guttierez
209: (United States)
964:American gang films
713:"Bernardo Trujillo"
458:Art Directors Guild
793:The Globe and Mail
635:The New York Times
584:List of hood films
551:The Globe and Mail
540:Carlos Morales of
245:Watts, Los Angeles
673:Los Angeles Times
507:Peter Hammond of
402:Locke High School
351:Nicholas Gonzalez
339:Kate del Castillo
335:as Officer Barber
261:Kate del Castillo
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201:October 2010
115:Kate del Castillo
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969:2000s hood films
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863:Official website
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821:on 15 July 2012.
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249:cinéma vérité
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236:Down for Life
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840:. Retrieved
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775:the original
771:latinola.com
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753:"California"
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95:Danny Glover
74:Frank Aragon
476:(2002) and
241:Alan Jacobs
65:Produced by
53:Alan Jacobs
40:Alan Jacobs
36:Directed by
924:2009 films
918:Categories
698:2010-08-13
668:"Archives"
610:. NBC News
590:References
566:nominated
548:Toronto’s
542:The Voice,
474:Barbershop
385:Background
359:as Vanessa
357:Emily Rios
333:Laz Alonso
327:Snoop Dogg
265:Snoop Dogg
257:Laz Alonso
190:2009-09-12
120:Emily Rios
110:Laz Alonso
100:Snoop Dogg
77:Laz Alonso
842:March 15,
799:March 15,
614:March 15,
492:In 2009,
488:Reception
466:in 2007.
341:as Esther
144:Edited by
887:AllMovie
578:See also
514:Precious
500:and the
484:(2009).
347:as Manny
225:Language
161:Music by
85:Starring
345:Lil Rob
228:English
217:Country
205:2010-10
203: (
188: (
125:Lil Rob
412:life.
398:Mexico
263:, and
194: (
837:(PDF)
463:Babel
447:Frida
293:Watts
876:IMDb
844:2023
801:2023
738:IMDb
718:IMDb
616:2023
306:Cast
297:Iowa
287:Plot
196:TIFF
907:at
896:at
885:at
874:at
525:.”
404:in
920::
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