FACES: Gangs
In April of 2019, two young members of an LA gang invited me to see their gun collection and hear what life being born into a organized crime is like.
We met at one of their spots tucked behind a strip of shops in a quiet blue collar neighborhood. I had only an hour to shoot video, take photos and eat their delicious offerings of seafood tacos and micheladas before one of the members had to pick his daughter up from school. Thankfully they weren’t camera shy.
I didn’t have to pry hard to get them talking about violence, drugs, home robberies and how to disassemble a pistol. What I found surprising was all the ways modern gangs have updated their operations to thwart police and throw off rivals. They’ve learned to blend in, keep a day job and try not to wear their successes on their sleeve. The word gang has connotations of listless teenage boys committing petty crimes on the corner. These two were part of what seemed to be a sophisticated, multigenerational crime organization.
I found them unassuming, generous and full of surprises. Through out the 8 minute film, we learn how they both moved back home after graduating college to continue the family business. They’re close with their families despite having disapproving mothers. They’re knowledgeable film buffs and appreciate nature.
It was a complicated reminder to never judge gang members by their outdated stereotypes.
“Gangs” is 25th installment of the FACES series created by Josh Ethan Johnson. FACES are spontaneously shot documentary films and photos made with little to no prior knowledge of the subjects.
Film by Josh Ethan Johnson - Music by Grant Cutler
