Published: 11 August, 2011
by DAN CARRIER

Rating: 5 Out Of 5 Stars

This incredibly powerful documentary could not be released at a more opportune moment, considering the widespread violence we have witnessed on our streets, and the nods and winks to an imported Americanised gang culture among many of the perpetrators.

It won the audience prize at the recent Sheffield Documentary Film Festival, and describes various problems relating to crime and gangster culture in Chicago.

It also shows practical ways societies can break cycles of deprivation and criminality.

It follows three workers who were once involved in serious crime in Chicago, but now work as mediators trying to stop trouble occurring in the tinder-box that is the horribly deprived areas of that city.

One of the three is a woman called Ameena Matthews, a former gang member who now works for a group called Ceasefire.

Her story of working to reduce violence and crime in the city is nothing short of extraordinary.
 
Her father was Geoff Wood, one of the biggest gang leaders in Chicago. Accused of plotting, with the help of Libya, to cause terrorist atrocities, he was second only to Al Capone.

Ameena got into drug selling, pimping, armed hold-ups, the lot – a life she graphically describes. Her journey from this to a problem-solving community pillar is enthralling to watch.

Cobe Williams has done time for trying to kill, and used to live off the proceeds of drug dealing.

Now he helps a woman who has to steer clear of her violent teenage sons, and also mentors an armed robber who had robbed a barbers, instilling fear into the hearts of those who worked there.

The third worker is Eddie Bocanegra, who committed a murder as a teenager, and whose erudite reading of the massive, terrible and awful things he has done in his past is incredibly poignant film-making.

Director Steve James made the superb basketball film Hoop Dreams 17 years ago, and he has made the most of the kudos he has earned from this seminal work to make another fascinating picture.

It is really about a concerted effort to break cycles of violence and gang culture and create a sense of social cohesion.

Its message is well-measured and you get the sense that it could open some eyes.

This is about how people are being disenfranchised, and how resorting to violence ruins your own life.

It makes you think that gang culture is not taken as seriously as it needs to be in the UK.

The film argues that there is a real need for mentors for young people; to show that there is hope, and that they don’t have to turn to a life of crime.