In the darkest hours, hope can come from the most unlikely of places.
In Los Angeles, a group of former gang members joined forces with community leaders and law enforcement on a mission to break the cycle of violence that they were once a part of creating. Our film, License to Operate is about rebuilding relationships. It's about healing the wounds of a community. It's about how the effort of a few can change the direction of an entire city.
When A Better LA founder and Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll approached us, the ask was simple - to produce a short fund-raising film, showcasing the incredible intervention work happening around Los Angeles.
But after just 2 weeks of documenting their tremendous efforts, I knew we couldn’t tell the full story in 5-7 mins. So we kept filming, and filming, and filming. 9 months later we captured over 300 hours of footage, featuring everyone from the Mayor of Los Angeles to the Chief of Police to notorious gang interventionists. It was an intersectional telling of an incredibly complex dynamic.
The result was License To Operate, a feature length documentary that premiered at Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), and went on to make its broadcast debut on Viceland, and all major VOD streaming platforms.
Film Trailer
“The past will always come back to haunt you”
- Reynaldo “Whiz” Reaser
The heartbreaking reality for many of those involved in this work, is reckoning with profound loss. From the guilt and grief, to the societal judgement that follows them around in perpetuity. Their strength in the shadow of such pain, is the characteristic that so many in this community possess.
“I want to keep him proud”
- Big Ship
With each new day of filming, came an added dimension to the story we were telling. However this clip featuring Big Ship always stuck with me, and illustrated so clearly what this film was really about. Redemption, and the belief that change is always possible.
“License To Operate”
The first time I heard this term, I knew it should be the title of our film. It’s a phrase to describe the unique access and credibility that these former gang members have within their communities.
A “license to operate” enables these men and women to be effective in ways that law enforcement or first responders can’t be. They earned this “license” through years of gang activity - but now they use it to repair the damage they once caused.
Feature Documentary
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We won the internet for a day.
To promote the film, we hosted an AMA. The community loved it, and quickly upvoted into the top spot on the front page of Reddit.
