omg this is very nice keep up the good work. i used h for 3yrs i lost my house my girl but not my life.i thank my dad for saving my life it could be done,but u must want it. i have been clean now for over a year.takeing day by day ...god bless you all.......
The saddest thing i've seen is when i saw a young girl who couldn't have been more than 14 years old, was missing her teeth and had a lot of scratches and bumps all over her face and was pan handling downtown here in Ottawa. Was sad to see a girl with potential and could have been a somebody, but waste it all because of addiction. Was very unfortunate and sad.
I can say that I know one of the people in this doc, All I can say is that person is there because he put himself in that position. But I do hope he gets things straight someday in his life.
I can say that I know one of the people in this doc, All I can say is that person is there because he put himself in that position. But I do hope he gets things streight someday in his life.
My son's mother left us 12 years ago to chase the dragon, she hasn't been a part of our lives since. Took me for $20,000 and ran from the police and bikers who were looking for her. My son and I are alright, we keep to ourselves though, been through enough and have eachother to lean on. She turned on anyone she could just to get high. Watching videos like this make me wonder how they do it, it's not life, it's death, just slower.
There's only two answers for heroin... Life or death. I know first hand. To live you have to want to. there's life outside the game, you just gotta want it bad enough to stop being a coward and go live for yourself. Not invest hard work into a nightmare. Suboxone, is the key. Methadone is pointless. It's like giving beer to an alcoholic. Just be strong, addiction is NOT a disease, it's a habit. Not easily broken, but highly possible.... May you one day find peace...
Thank you for sharing this flim. and for those who participated, Sorry about Larry, it's heart breaking. This really shows the human side of addiction, we are all on the same level, but some of us fall into a dark hole at times and never find our way back out.
So sorry to hear about the death of any addict! I have lost 3 friends myself! Im a recovering heroin addict from Chicago & I used to go all over the city from Austin, to Rockwell, to Lawndale, to S. State chasing every high I could find. I feel horrible for the people who are stuck in this life & I am glad this video was made! Is it just me or do others agree that Chicagoland in particular has a major heroin problem? I didnt grow up thinking I would ever touch heroin either, yet it was all over!
Its funny people that you would think would have no optimism. Have some of the most beautiful optimism in the world. Always looking on the bright side of life, that what i love about this video.
Larry Nelson, aka "Pops", "Uncle Larry" was my father. Personal thanks to Gocubs 2584, LilHody, and billyklez, and others for caring for my dad when I couldn't. The past 12 days since learning of my father's death have been a rollercoaster of emotions and discovery. Memorial Service will be held: Thursday, November 5, 2009; 2:00 p.m.; Victory Outreach Church, 4836 W. 13th St., Cicero, Illinois, 60804. ANYONE WHO WAS A FRIEND TO MY FATHER IS WELCOME
I am a part-time binge cracker-blowhead and although the news touched me, i have seen so so many die. and even though this documentary moved me even more, it is still in my blood to use. RIP Pops, your life meant something.
R.I.P Larry. It's not gonna be the same driving down Cicero ave. with out you standing out there. I hope they catch the F**ks that did this so that they won't be driving down a street doing 70 in a 30 zone.
@Georgie2500 A couple of years ago Larry was brutally killed in a hit and run. The car, travelling south on Cicero Ave. at an estimated 80mph, ran him down, literally cut him in half. Driver continued another 3 blocks before turning down a side street and stopping in an alley, at which point Larry's torso rolled off the hood of the car while his legs remained back at the Shell station near the scene of the crime. They have yet to catch the driver or anyone in the car.
great doc. Seen it here yrs ago but watchin it again aft seeing ross kemp on chicago epidemic. btw, Larry's murderer(s), did the cops bother tracing who the car belonged to? Or if it wasn't burnt out, combed its interior for forensic evidence?
I knew your uncle somewhat. My family owns the restaurant right there on Roosevelt and Cicero. Larry and I would have arguments but I never stayed mad. I gave him and some of his friends food EVERYDAY. He was our friend and we will miss him. Are arguments being made to lay him to rest? If so, I would appreciate any info. Thanks
Hey LilHody. This is Greg, the filmmaker. Thanks for your kind words. I'll let you know about funeral arrangements once the decisions get made. Tell you mom I say Hi.
One time I saw a father shoot up while riding in the back seat of my own car. Also regret the years when I actually bought drugs for people, used myself. You learn a lifetime of experiences in one day. Great footage man, but yes sad.
We call that Sustain Talk, and it is by focusing or lending of hope that possible change might happen. First, you give them hope by treating them like human beings, and gosh, darn, this is where the Motivational Interviewing comes in. Once we get some Commitment Talk ("I will go to the doctor tomorrow."), they actually tend to do it. Something about it coming out of their mouths. Or they can choose to stay the same. Their choice. Let's work together.
hey jacque! thanks for the comment, the encouraging words, and for using the video in your class. by september 1, i hope, the feature length film will be finished. it's been 5 years in the making, so it better be good. and yeah, i hear change talk every day. but recently my interviews have revealed what happens when people in the Byard area realize that their talk is really just talk; that they have been using change talk to endure or even rationalize behavior. it's a fascinating phenomenon.
i understand how these ppl feel at times i feel so bad about things i hav thought about using heroin luckily i realized that life is to beutiful to waste it all away on such a horrible drug
I think it's by cicero and roosevelt, because that was the intesection where the guy was walking in the street asking for change from the cars that stop at the light. Everytime I see him, I give him a quarter. I think he's in a wheel chair now.
You are correct. His name is/was Larry, or just "Pops." Yesterday he was killed in a hit and run accident. The police haven't found the driver, nor has the driver turned himself in. He was my uncle. May he rest in peace.
I knew your uncle somewhat. My family owns the restaurant right there on Roosevelt and Cicero. Larry and I would have arguments but I never stayed mad. I gave him and some of his friends food EVERYDAY. He was our friend and we will miss him. Are arguments being made to lay him to rest? If so, I would appreciate any info. Thanks
Jesus i remember my heroin days.Some poor lady let me sleep in her garage every night and in the morning she allways made me a sandwich.God bless her.
I should visit her and thank her...dont you think?
this is AMAZING!! I've always been interested in people like these and wanted to hear their stories. Was it hard to get them to let you into their lives? Did you have to pay them or were they just willing to talk?
Thank you. On occasion I paid people for their time, especially if the interview took longer than 1 hour. Everyone's time is worth money. I charge for mine, so I expect others to charge for their expertise. For many addicts, their life story, their addiction, is their only remaining source of human capital. If I want to exploit it to advance my career or my personal goal of changing beliefs and values in society, then I need to pay for it. But mostly I just paid people with small favors.
I think your confusing who my responce was to, remember I'm rockin and very happy on MMT for many years. I was responding to the guy who implyed that the easier way was nessesarily less valid or laudable than the "harder" one - a strategy I've never chosen to accomplish my personal goals.
Sorry, DF. You're right. I was confused. Still am, just less so, and in a more existential sense. Thanks for clearing things up on this front, though! --Greg
he's doing okay. his "wife" wilma was hit by a truck and very badly injured. she's still in the hospital, but it looks like she'll survive. freeway keeps on being freeway .... inimitable.
congratulations. that's great news. but the "best way" for you might not be the best way for everyone. there is no "one size fits all" recovery model, after all. what works for one person might be disastrous for another. i wish you all the best ....
I my opinion, this is why drugs should be decriminalized.Instead of wasting time trying to get money(by any means)to get high, they could be getting help.They would have their drugs;then energy and money could go to trying to have a real home,food,counseling,education,job training. Here in Western Canada they won't let you live in one place if you're homeless,and winters get cold, even in Vancouver. When it's you, or someone you love, what I say makes sense.
remember suboxone is addictive and believe me its not a mirical drug at all, i know, i was on it and i know its just another way to put off getting clean because its just trading drugs is all so please consider looking up info on this drug before you take it because there is alot of people that swear by suboxone and there is more in my opinion saying not to take it
Remember, "addiction" is a clinical, diagnostic term referring to a brain disease symptomatized by the repetitive ingestion of psychoactive substances (from caffeine to heroin) in the face of known adverse consequences. Physical dependence IS NOT addiction. One can be physically dependent on opiates (e.g., suboxone) and be fully functional. Abstinence is a beautiful thing for those who can achieve and enjoy it. For the rest of us, functional dependence is the best alternative.
ok, to me you arent talking in english so if u could tone the big terminoligy down for us that arent as hip on the med. lingo ,it might be easyer for people to understand but anyway if u are on opiats and you are addicted then the physical side effects of not taking the drug comes with the acctuall chemical addiction in the brain but anyway i have no clue as to what you were saying so ill wait to see what you meant and ill elaborate on that one, Are you an addict? you sound like a doctor??
Ok, if you say people can be phisically addicted and still be fully functional ,then why cant half the people who stop taking drugs of there choice, even move let alone be fully functional have you been addicted or had to acctually come off of a seriouse drug and stay off cold turkey without methadone or suboxone because i think if u have then u know what i am saying is true.but remember physical dependence starts after you are addicted in the brain so i think its all addiction.........
I did not say that people can be addicted and still be fully functional. I said the opposite: Addiction means you are not functional. Being chemically dependent means that your body and mind will not function well without the drug. If your life is out of control because of drug-taking, then you're addicted to the drug. If your life is put into balance because of taking a drug, then you are functionally dependent. You are confusing addiction and dependence. Addiction = unmanageable life.
functional dependence is just a fancy phrase for an easier softer way, which is ultimately holding you back from recovery and serenity. i took suboxone for a long time. i wish i would have never taken that stuff because it just delayed my recovery process
Just because it wasn't right for you doesn't mean it's wrong for everyone. I would never suggest that suboxone or methadone or 12-step or ANY response is good FOR ALL people. Recovery means different things to different people; clearly, abstinence-only approaches fail miserably (from a statistical perspective), although some people succeed (but few remain abstinent of ALL psychotropics, such as caffeine and nicotine). Advocating abstinence is antiquated idiocy.
If these poor people could afford suboxone,they could put there life back together and they could maybe get a job and be happy.Its fucked up how Sub cost so much money,and these people cant afford it,only there next fix.Fuck the drug companies,these people are in need,and Suboxone is a life saver.
I agree with you. A handful of them (~5) have succeeded in obtaining suboxone free of charge from ... a sympathetic source. Others have paid for it in the market of the informal economy. Everyone who has begun the suboxone course has gotten out of the Brickyard, procured employment, mended relationships, and moved on in life. But you're absolutely right ... getting Suboxone shouldn't be this hard or expensive. The U.S. should subsidize its cost and distribution through clinics, ERs, etc.
blown away by this. i spent six mo. on suboxone and recently withdrew from it and i have to say it might just help these people IF they were willing to try. Great video to remind yourself what can happen. Dont know if this is true but my dr. said that the drug companies were coming out with generic suboxone in 09. if so this could help so many people afford to get clean!
Im pretty sure you can get suboxone free for up to 6 months....and all you have to do is go to a treatment center or a doc that speaciallises in suboxone recovery and get him to signe an application thats comes off the internet or you might be able to get one from the suboxone makers but anyway you can get up to a 6 month supply of suboxone for absolutely free its pretty simple to do and i think it takes a few weeks to get it done ...maybe like 2 or maybe less every place is different, good luck
The company that makes suboxone has a plan for people that cant afford to get it and all you do is go to a suboxone treatment center and sign up A.S.A.P. because they can only take about 30 patiants at a time and then all you have to do is print there application off the internet or call the company and get them to send you one and you have to sign your part and take it to the doctor and have him sign his part and you can get up to a 6 month supply for free, it only takes 1 or 2 weeks i think
When you are on dope you have no reason to do anything else that doesn't include drugs. Look at the conditions they live in, one thing you can say about them they are survivors. Hardcore people, I will promise you this. If any of these people get clean and rotate back to the world nothing will rattle them. They have seen the worse, the only thing that will haunt them is there drug addiction, and hopefully the memory of there past will keep them clean. I know I have been clean for 372 day.
I've never been strung out on drugs, but i have seen my share of them who were and i had the chance to know them personaly. they were people who cared,loved, and hurt, just like everyone else. they were all good people!
The only difference with the people in this video they probably have no one to turn too. Look at the conditions they live in, one thing you can say about them they are survivors. Hardcore people, I will promise you this. If any of these people get clean and rotate back to the world nothing will rattle them. They have seen the worse, the only thing that will haunt them is there drug addiction, and hopefully the memory of there past will keep them clean. I know I have been clean for 372 day.
Interesting suggestion, especially given that Chrissy-Boo was nearly murdered by her mother, a legal secretary poured boiling water on Chrissy, then an infant. Years later, Chrissy's uncle (a stockbroker) raped her repeatedly. And then he sold her to his poker buddies--a firefighter, an electrician, and a contractor. They raped her anally and vaginally for six months before finally releasing her to the streets. Thank the good Lord for normal working people. And for people like you.
Unfortunately, the world is overstocked with people whose addiction to ignorance far exceeds the addiction to heroin among the people they self-righteously scorn.
Im a heroin addict and my life is hell, and unfortunatly I chose this lifestyle. I need help more than anything but the withdrawls are so intense I cant deal with them b/c I feel like Im dying. I live near Chicago and u would not believe how many other addicts there are. This is no way to live tho, but I feel their pain. I wish I can recieve the gift of recovery,I just dont know what to do, Im so lost, Im about to be 21 and this has been my life since I was 16,God please help me and these people
Hey, don't be so hard on yourself, despite the fact that you might have "chose" to use opiates, you didn't choose to be an addict - physiological factors played a role in that too, or else anyone whose ever been prescribed Vicodin would now be a junky. Have you tried Methadone? I've been on Methadone maintenance for years and it allowed me to go from a life similar to those in the film to a happy, productive, fun lifestyle. I'm in Chicago and can recomend a clinic if you need help.
Hey David, are you or did you used to be a member of the A.T Watchdog/Methadone blog? As soon as I saw your name it just kind of clicked. I used to be a Chicago heroin addict for 4-5yrs. Once I moved out to Colorado I started Methadone maintenance & I was always on that A.T Watchdog site trying to gather info, etc. I believe I once asked you about a Methadone clinic in Chicago when I came home to visit my family. It want to say it was on N. Broadway. Well thanks & its good to hear you are well.
Hey, good to hear from you, and yep, I am a regular on atwatchdog. I am at the clinic on N. Broadway - hope they treated you well; they're normally pretty cool. Glad everything's going good.
I ride the burlington metra into downtown almost daily for work/classes..and I've begun to notice two rather large scrap metal/junk shacks erected near the north side of the tracks somewhere between Cicero and Western. It's on the outskirts of a large industrial yard. I've yet to be able to specifically pinpoint the locale as the train moves pretty fast through here, but it always reminds me of this video.
i read some of those comments and those of you who say fuck the junkies they knew what they were doing its there own fault- you's are full of shit, im an ex junkie an even though id heard heroin's bad etc i still went an did it. that doesnt make me stupid or a bad person, i just made a mistake.did u ever stopn to think that there are reasons a person might turn to something as bad as heroin to cope with a bad life or things that have happened that they cant cope with??? SMALL MINDED ASS HOLES!
Christ heroin doesn't do THIS to these people. Do you have any idea of the inflated cost of drugs due to their illegality? The treatment these people suffer due to the social unacceptability of THEIR drug. They are criminalised, marginalised, they live below society. Attitudes such as 'they did this to themselves', help no one. Whats more, most heroin addicts are employed, even support families, and you are completely unaware of them.
The poor homeless junkies, boo hoo. The first time they took heroin they knew the end results. So suggest they had no idea of what heroin is capable of is a joke. Lets talk about the familys of these poor junkies who go through hell everyday. Lets talk about the people these junkies rob. Lets talk about the kids left behind because these people wanted to shoot up instead of taking care of their kids. Thats who you should all feel bad for.
you seem to think all junkies think and feel the same way, thats pretty ignorant, a person addicted to drugs is a person none the less, and saying the first time they did heroin they knew the end result is impossible, that would require to see the future, no one knows what it is like to be a junkie except for a junkie. stop placing people into categorizes, you are no better then them
This is their own doing, most people have issues but you dont turn to drugs. THey have money for drugs they are just a disease and they dont want to behelped, they want to do drugs, period
At the end of the day,its people in research labs that came up with heroin and originally marketed it as a kids cough syrup. The governments of the world are the ones that invent this shit and then try to sweep the problem under the rug.
why is everyone bitching and moaning about weed? this shit is for real.. these people are hanging on by a thread. society needs to start caring about these people.
this video is sad someone needs to help these people not critisize them sure there junkies but they are still people and they have feelings too they just need to see a different way of life and no drugs is not the answer!!
My heart aches for these people---and the existence they endure.....It makes you wonder how they got there. I know drugs are the catalyst...but why some and not others? People need to stop being so judgmental. This (being homeless---not necessarily on drugs) could happen to anyone...and I mean ANYONE.
how old are you??? you clearly have no real concept or experience of what drugs are able to do to people. Please leave you ungrounded and inexperienced opinions to yourself as impressionable people read your comments.
i wish that was true so much, but its not. if karma worked out right then the world would be an amazing place, something like heaven. im not religious in anyway im just saying what i think
I think it is safe to say that watching this video will have saved someone's life. Someone who thought about trying dope will not try it now. This video is very powerful and needs to be seen by all. It will save lives
the shots with the woman wearing orange pants in the little white "room" are great. she is a star. she seems like she has a very beautiful soul. and 20:50--wow!
l lived like that too for 5 years. Thank God my family and friends did not give up on me either. dakkota74, do we realize how lucky, under the grace of god, we are to be out of hell on earth
This video is really sad, because it's really real. There is a terrible shortage of treatment, especially for dual diagnosis patients (drugs and Mental illness). In my area there are more than twice as many addicts as treatment slots. Hopefully this documentary and others will bring attention to the problem and increase treatment options.
Ahh ... because it's currently under consideration at several film festivals and also with a few television stations and cable channels. They don't like to be preempted by YouTube ..... And it seems that some people have been copying The Brickyard and distributing it under other names. Same with BFG ... I had it up for a little while, but then folks started pirating it.
The same could be said for any piece of art ... its conversion from inert matter to "work of art" is a socially constructed process. And where taste is concerned, I suppose there is no arguing. No point.
what really pisses me of that im from ukraine and inmy country there were a lot of people like this simply because there was no jobs, here on the other hand if you want to and put your mind to it you can be whatever you want and get a job that would at least keep you of the street
if addiction truly boils down to free will and the power of the mind, as you say, then the absence of jobs and/or poverty should not make one bit of difference. according to your theory, no one has an excuse, including people living in ukraine.
and you know what i agree with that, my parents worked couple jobs to support us, instead they could of given up and make us all live in a cardboard box, so there is no excuse, you have 80 years to live on this planet thats roughly 30,000 days to make a difference in your life.
living in a cardboard box and sustaining an addiction, which is a mental illness according to international medical standards, is more difficult than working two jobs. no one in the film makes any excuses or seeks pity ... and they all make a difference in someone else's life, even though many treat them as worthless. at least they have mercy, and the capacity to forgive and suspend judgment.
yes, at least two sides to every story. some of the people in this film do bad things to others; most of them struggle every day with their mental illness. as with any population, a few are "bad" and most are "good." the problem is that "normal" people view them all as less than human. anyway, thanks for writing.
and you know what i agree with that, my parents worked couple jobs to support us, instead they could of given up and make us all live in a cardboard box, so there is no excuse, you have 80 years to live on this planet thats roughly 30,000 days to make a difference in your life.
Add captions with the names of these people. Build some rapport with the people otherwise it is just strangers telling stories and it is not very engaging.
My own daughter is a recovering heroin addict. She was the one who stumbled on this video and told me to watch it. She said she used to buy dope around this area. She thought the documentary was really good and was hoping you would do something more with it than just youtube it. I hope you do, too.
Thank you for writing. I'm honored that your daughter found enough truth and intrigue in this short piece to pass it along to you. And yes, a full feature-length documentary on the same area is in production. Hopefully I will have the funds to finish and distribute it widely .... Thanks again for commenting on it .... My best to you and your daughter.
i love to see people bringing attention to this. I was homeless in maywood (chicago west side) for a year and a half, stuck on blows. luckily, a friend of mine was willing to put me up so i could get my shit together, but alot of good people are still stuck out there. right on, brother.
Sad situation,but i wonder how you can be sure that they wouldnt beat or kill you for your camera if they cant make enough to support the daily nut?Great job on a story that needs to be told!
Billyklez: have you followed up at all with the individiuals in your documentary? Just wondered how they were doing - if they were still alive and in the yard. You are right, they wouldn't want anyone's pity, but they have my prayers.
Thanks for your inquiry. Yes, I am in daily contact with the folks in the film. The feature-length version is still in the production phase, so I'm still shooting footage. I also do a lot of health promotion outreach work with them. Everyone's getting along pretty well, although my dearest friend was recently murdered by her boyfriend. We're all still grieving her loss.
omg this is very nice keep up the good work. i used h for 3yrs i lost my house my girl but not my life.i thank my dad for saving my life it could be done,but u must want it. i have been clean now for over a year.takeing day by day ...god bless you all.......
poolhall72 7 months ago
HOME SWEET HOME
stavlaft 7 months ago
The saddest thing i've seen is when i saw a young girl who couldn't have been more than 14 years old, was missing her teeth and had a lot of scratches and bumps all over her face and was pan handling downtown here in Ottawa. Was sad to see a girl with potential and could have been a somebody, but waste it all because of addiction. Was very unfortunate and sad.
BeyondChange 11 months ago
in all seriousness, this is a fantastic film - thank you for sharing it.
BUT
@18:05 : anyone else sit there chanting "acknowledge" trying to help her out?
TheEvelynOwen 11 months ago
I can say that I know one of the people in this doc, All I can say is that person is there because he put himself in that position. But I do hope he gets things straight someday in his life.
johnapril320 1 year ago
I can say that I know one of the people in this doc, All I can say is that person is there because he put himself in that position. But I do hope he gets things streight someday in his life.
johnapril320 1 year ago
wow, I grew up with Jeff I hope things get better for him
johnapril320 1 year ago
My son's mother left us 12 years ago to chase the dragon, she hasn't been a part of our lives since. Took me for $20,000 and ran from the police and bikers who were looking for her. My son and I are alright, we keep to ourselves though, been through enough and have eachother to lean on. She turned on anyone she could just to get high. Watching videos like this make me wonder how they do it, it's not life, it's death, just slower.
Glad I watched this one.
gramboliciousness 1 year ago
Great film !!! I'm in recovery now so that I don't end up there..
varvie52 1 year ago
There's only two answers for heroin... Life or death. I know first hand. To live you have to want to. there's life outside the game, you just gotta want it bad enough to stop being a coward and go live for yourself. Not invest hard work into a nightmare. Suboxone, is the key. Methadone is pointless. It's like giving beer to an alcoholic. Just be strong, addiction is NOT a disease, it's a habit. Not easily broken, but highly possible.... May you one day find peace...
UponDemise666 1 year ago
Very sad :/
May the almighty help them and protect us from the evil of what He created.
wahnano 1 year ago
Thank you for sharing this flim. and for those who participated, Sorry about Larry, it's heart breaking. This really shows the human side of addiction, we are all on the same level, but some of us fall into a dark hole at times and never find our way back out.
brooklynlulu 1 year ago
this is so sad
jumkoyu 1 year ago
I spent many years in the same deep dark hole. God Bless 'em all.
Paddyllfixit 1 year ago
Man i feel so bad watching this video:(
Fuckingflesheater 1 year ago
So sorry to hear about the death of any addict! I have lost 3 friends myself! Im a recovering heroin addict from Chicago & I used to go all over the city from Austin, to Rockwell, to Lawndale, to S. State chasing every high I could find. I feel horrible for the people who are stuck in this life & I am glad this video was made! Is it just me or do others agree that Chicagoland in particular has a major heroin problem? I didnt grow up thinking I would ever touch heroin either, yet it was all over!
Brutananadilewski007 2 years ago
Its funny people that you would think would have no optimism. Have some of the most beautiful optimism in the world. Always looking on the bright side of life, that what i love about this video.
seasicksweetheart 2 years ago
Larry Nelson, aka "Pops", "Uncle Larry" was my father. Personal thanks to Gocubs 2584, LilHody, and billyklez, and others for caring for my dad when I couldn't. The past 12 days since learning of my father's death have been a rollercoaster of emotions and discovery. Memorial Service will be held: Thursday, November 5, 2009; 2:00 p.m.; Victory Outreach Church, 4836 W. 13th St., Cicero, Illinois, 60804. ANYONE WHO WAS A FRIEND TO MY FATHER IS WELCOME
lnelson5910 2 years ago 2
I was with Larry a week or so before this.
I am a part-time binge cracker-blowhead and although the news touched me, i have seen so so many die. and even though this documentary moved me even more, it is still in my blood to use. RIP Pops, your life meant something.
matt
mattcordtwist 2 years ago
Thumbs up and 5 stars.
Have you created any other documentaries like this one Greg?
I love this kind of tragic, but still somewhat hopeful documentaries because it is a subject that touch my soul in so many ways.
Ive been a junkie etc.
mentaltfladdrig 2 years ago 3
Damn, I used to see him out there all the time. Everyday. R.I.P.
czechking 2 years ago
R.I.P Larry. It's not gonna be the same driving down Cicero ave. with out you standing out there. I hope they catch the F**ks that did this so that they won't be driving down a street doing 70 in a 30 zone.
Gocubs2584 2 years ago 10
@Gocubs2584 what happened to larry?
Georgie2500 1 year ago
@Georgie2500 A couple of years ago Larry was brutally killed in a hit and run. The car, travelling south on Cicero Ave. at an estimated 80mph, ran him down, literally cut him in half. Driver continued another 3 blocks before turning down a side street and stopping in an alley, at which point Larry's torso rolled off the hood of the car while his legs remained back at the Shell station near the scene of the crime. They have yet to catch the driver or anyone in the car.
billyklez 7 months ago
@billyklez which one was larry in the film? sad to hear
Georgie2500 6 months ago
@billyklez
great doc. Seen it here yrs ago but watchin it again aft seeing ross kemp on chicago epidemic. btw, Larry's murderer(s), did the cops bother tracing who the car belonged to? Or if it wasn't burnt out, combed its interior for forensic evidence?
Paddyllfixit 6 months ago
I knew your uncle somewhat. My family owns the restaurant right there on Roosevelt and Cicero. Larry and I would have arguments but I never stayed mad. I gave him and some of his friends food EVERYDAY. He was our friend and we will miss him. Are arguments being made to lay him to rest? If so, I would appreciate any info. Thanks
LilHody 2 years ago 2
Hey LilHody. This is Greg, the filmmaker. Thanks for your kind words. I'll let you know about funeral arrangements once the decisions get made. Tell you mom I say Hi.
billyklez 2 years ago
thanks for posting this . . .
TheAgentOfTruth 2 years ago 2
Those junkies are where they are by their own choice and free will. They're parasites to society and we'd all be better off if they were dead.
ifukyouintheass 2 years ago
Your as obnoxious as your name suggests
theboyjazz 2 years ago
This documentary is good but remember those of us who choose to experience these environments for a real experience.
darkwraith07 2 years ago
One time I saw a father shoot up while riding in the back seat of my own car. Also regret the years when I actually bought drugs for people, used myself. You learn a lifetime of experiences in one day. Great footage man, but yes sad.
darkwraith07 2 years ago 2
We call that Sustain Talk, and it is by focusing or lending of hope that possible change might happen. First, you give them hope by treating them like human beings, and gosh, darn, this is where the Motivational Interviewing comes in. Once we get some Commitment Talk ("I will go to the doctor tomorrow."), they actually tend to do it. Something about it coming out of their mouths. Or they can choose to stay the same. Their choice. Let's work together.
jacelder13 2 years ago
Hey Greg, Jacque here. I hear hope in some of these people. "this is wasn't I planned on being when I grew up..."
Change Talk. Jacque Elder
PS. I use this in all my classes
jacelder13 2 years ago
hey jacque! thanks for the comment, the encouraging words, and for using the video in your class. by september 1, i hope, the feature length film will be finished. it's been 5 years in the making, so it better be good. and yeah, i hear change talk every day. but recently my interviews have revealed what happens when people in the Byard area realize that their talk is really just talk; that they have been using change talk to endure or even rationalize behavior. it's a fascinating phenomenon.
billyklez 2 years ago
I remember watching this in your substance abuse class last spring. All these stories never left my head for some reason.
soph7133 2 years ago
its almost like they are completely oblivious to how incredibly fucked up their lives are. fuck i feel for them though. poor cunts.
S1Z3M 3 years ago
i understand how these ppl feel at times i feel so bad about things i hav thought about using heroin luckily i realized that life is to beutiful to waste it all away on such a horrible drug
40oztahfreedom 3 years ago
This is really sad the way these poeple live, Thank you for the video, and the full length documentary will be great ;)
DazedButterFly 3 years ago
Wow man thats some sad stuff, hope ur doing okay and god bless man
centralalphonsus 3 years ago
is the full documentary out yet?
endsinurple 3 years ago
Not yet. Still in production. Scheduled for release in early summer 2009.
billyklez 3 years ago
I live like 10 minutes away from the Brickyard! I came across this unexpectedly. Strange..
cainamdead 3 years ago
People watching this may also like to watch 'The dark end of the street'.
lisacomerford 3 years ago 3
Hey I just came across this and I would love to see the final product, is it anywhere that I would be able to see it?
emogrl766 3 years ago
The feature length version will be released in Summer 2009. Thanks for the kind words.
billyklez 3 years ago
man what song is that? it's so good
Brownsweiger 3 years ago
"I Can Get High (All by Myself)" by Ray LaMontagne
billyklez 3 years ago
Is there any chance to get this with subtitles?
Naminator99 3 years ago
amazing film. where is the brickyard?
Kuklazoid 3 years ago
I think it's by cicero and roosevelt, because that was the intesection where the guy was walking in the street asking for change from the cars that stop at the light. Everytime I see him, I give him a quarter. I think he's in a wheel chair now.
Dipukas1 3 years ago
You are correct. His name is/was Larry, or just "Pops." Yesterday he was killed in a hit and run accident. The police haven't found the driver, nor has the driver turned himself in. He was my uncle. May he rest in peace.
billyklez 2 years ago
I knew your uncle somewhat. My family owns the restaurant right there on Roosevelt and Cicero. Larry and I would have arguments but I never stayed mad. I gave him and some of his friends food EVERYDAY. He was our friend and we will miss him. Are arguments being made to lay him to rest? If so, I would appreciate any info. Thanks
LilHody 2 years ago
amen.
yukinagoto 2 years ago
if you got clean and sober congratulations.
mondo56 3 years ago
Jesus i remember my heroin days.Some poor lady let me sleep in her garage every night and in the morning she allways made me a sandwich.God bless her.
I should visit her and thank her...dont you think?
yoda19hack 3 years ago 30
incredible
biaaib123 3 years ago
Great job
wexarexthexStorm 3 years ago
this is AMAZING!! I've always been interested in people like these and wanted to hear their stories. Was it hard to get them to let you into their lives? Did you have to pay them or were they just willing to talk?
nickmccarthyy 3 years ago 3
Thank you. On occasion I paid people for their time, especially if the interview took longer than 1 hour. Everyone's time is worth money. I charge for mine, so I expect others to charge for their expertise. For many addicts, their life story, their addiction, is their only remaining source of human capital. If I want to exploit it to advance my career or my personal goal of changing beliefs and values in society, then I need to pay for it. But mostly I just paid people with small favors.
billyklez 3 years ago
did any of them try take you camera? that would get them stoned for weeks
MAKER6450 3 years ago
No, I lived there, part of the community. People watched out for me, I watched out for them. Quid pro quo.
billyklez 3 years ago
you did? wow mam.
your life must be on track now then?
MAKER6450 3 years ago
poignant....true...well done !
mrblisterfist 3 years ago
I think your confusing who my responce was to, remember I'm rockin and very happy on MMT for many years. I was responding to the guy who implyed that the easier way was nessesarily less valid or laudable than the "harder" one - a strategy I've never chosen to accomplish my personal goals.
-DF
hwydave 3 years ago
Sorry, DF. You're right. I was confused. Still am, just less so, and in a more existential sense. Thanks for clearing things up on this front, though! --Greg
billyklez 3 years ago
thats good if you see him tell him ''jc'' says hi
rawjc 3 years ago
will do ....
billyklez 3 years ago
also hows ''freeway'' doing????
rawjc 3 years ago
he's doing okay. his "wife" wilma was hit by a truck and very badly injured. she's still in the hospital, but it looks like she'll survive. freeway keeps on being freeway .... inimitable.
billyklez 3 years ago
his names "freeway" and his wife got hit by a truck? damn that sux
MAKER6450 3 years ago
i been clean -3 weekends since jan, best way is cold turkey
rawjc 3 years ago
congratulations. that's great news. but the "best way" for you might not be the best way for everyone. there is no "one size fits all" recovery model, after all. what works for one person might be disastrous for another. i wish you all the best ....
billyklez 3 years ago
no no, you say cold turkey is the best way? was your junk habbit high? if it was the cold turk would of been hell.
iv been on methadone for a year now and i havent shot for 8 months now... thats a BIG turn for me, its been a 8 year nightmare.
MAKER6450 3 years ago
wats the street is that block on
pysauno 3 years ago
I my opinion, this is why drugs should be decriminalized.Instead of wasting time trying to get money(by any means)to get high, they could be getting help.They would have their drugs;then energy and money could go to trying to have a real home,food,counseling,education,job training. Here in Western Canada they won't let you live in one place if you're homeless,and winters get cold, even in Vancouver. When it's you, or someone you love, what I say makes sense.
binloved 3 years ago 3
remember suboxone is addictive and believe me its not a mirical drug at all, i know, i was on it and i know its just another way to put off getting clean because its just trading drugs is all so please consider looking up info on this drug before you take it because there is alot of people that swear by suboxone and there is more in my opinion saying not to take it
RichardF41230 3 years ago
Remember, "addiction" is a clinical, diagnostic term referring to a brain disease symptomatized by the repetitive ingestion of psychoactive substances (from caffeine to heroin) in the face of known adverse consequences. Physical dependence IS NOT addiction. One can be physically dependent on opiates (e.g., suboxone) and be fully functional. Abstinence is a beautiful thing for those who can achieve and enjoy it. For the rest of us, functional dependence is the best alternative.
billyklez 3 years ago
ok, to me you arent talking in english so if u could tone the big terminoligy down for us that arent as hip on the med. lingo ,it might be easyer for people to understand but anyway if u are on opiats and you are addicted then the physical side effects of not taking the drug comes with the acctuall chemical addiction in the brain but anyway i have no clue as to what you were saying so ill wait to see what you meant and ill elaborate on that one, Are you an addict? you sound like a doctor??
RichardF41230 3 years ago
Ok, if you say people can be phisically addicted and still be fully functional ,then why cant half the people who stop taking drugs of there choice, even move let alone be fully functional have you been addicted or had to acctually come off of a seriouse drug and stay off cold turkey without methadone or suboxone because i think if u have then u know what i am saying is true.but remember physical dependence starts after you are addicted in the brain so i think its all addiction.........
RichardF41230 3 years ago
I did not say that people can be addicted and still be fully functional. I said the opposite: Addiction means you are not functional. Being chemically dependent means that your body and mind will not function well without the drug. If your life is out of control because of drug-taking, then you're addicted to the drug. If your life is put into balance because of taking a drug, then you are functionally dependent. You are confusing addiction and dependence. Addiction = unmanageable life.
billyklez 3 years ago
i understand what you mean now but i couldnt the way you said it the first time but anyway ok i get it ....
RichardF41230 3 years ago
functional dependence is just a fancy phrase for an easier softer way, which is ultimately holding you back from recovery and serenity. i took suboxone for a long time. i wish i would have never taken that stuff because it just delayed my recovery process
deerpard 3 years ago
Just because it wasn't right for you doesn't mean it's wrong for everyone. I would never suggest that suboxone or methadone or 12-step or ANY response is good FOR ALL people. Recovery means different things to different people; clearly, abstinence-only approaches fail miserably (from a statistical perspective), although some people succeed (but few remain abstinent of ALL psychotropics, such as caffeine and nicotine). Advocating abstinence is antiquated idiocy.
billyklez 3 years ago
I always prefer the easier way over the harder one.
-David
hwydave 3 years ago
If these poor people could afford suboxone,they could put there life back together and they could maybe get a job and be happy.Its fucked up how Sub cost so much money,and these people cant afford it,only there next fix.Fuck the drug companies,these people are in need,and Suboxone is a life saver.
beaumiller81 3 years ago
I agree with you. A handful of them (~5) have succeeded in obtaining suboxone free of charge from ... a sympathetic source. Others have paid for it in the market of the informal economy. Everyone who has begun the suboxone course has gotten out of the Brickyard, procured employment, mended relationships, and moved on in life. But you're absolutely right ... getting Suboxone shouldn't be this hard or expensive. The U.S. should subsidize its cost and distribution through clinics, ERs, etc.
billyklez 3 years ago
blown away by this. i spent six mo. on suboxone and recently withdrew from it and i have to say it might just help these people IF they were willing to try. Great video to remind yourself what can happen. Dont know if this is true but my dr. said that the drug companies were coming out with generic suboxone in 09. if so this could help so many people afford to get clean!
guinnguinn93 3 years ago
Im pretty sure you can get suboxone free for up to 6 months....and all you have to do is go to a treatment center or a doc that speaciallises in suboxone recovery and get him to signe an application thats comes off the internet or you might be able to get one from the suboxone makers but anyway you can get up to a 6 month supply of suboxone for absolutely free its pretty simple to do and i think it takes a few weeks to get it done ...maybe like 2 or maybe less every place is different, good luck
RichardF41230 3 years ago
The company that makes suboxone has a plan for people that cant afford to get it and all you do is go to a suboxone treatment center and sign up A.S.A.P. because they can only take about 30 patiants at a time and then all you have to do is print there application off the internet or call the company and get them to send you one and you have to sign your part and take it to the doctor and have him sign his part and you can get up to a 6 month supply for free, it only takes 1 or 2 weeks i think
RichardF41230 3 years ago
When you are on dope you have no reason to do anything else that doesn't include drugs. Look at the conditions they live in, one thing you can say about them they are survivors. Hardcore people, I will promise you this. If any of these people get clean and rotate back to the world nothing will rattle them. They have seen the worse, the only thing that will haunt them is there drug addiction, and hopefully the memory of there past will keep them clean. I know I have been clean for 372 day.
nathannathan124 3 years ago 3
I've never been strung out on drugs, but i have seen my share of them who were and i had the chance to know them personaly. they were people who cared,loved, and hurt, just like everyone else. they were all good people!
Congratulations! Keep up the hard work!
sheedalaadie 3 years ago
good for u....keep yr head up
sakae24 3 years ago
The only difference with the people in this video they probably have no one to turn too. Look at the conditions they live in, one thing you can say about them they are survivors. Hardcore people, I will promise you this. If any of these people get clean and rotate back to the world nothing will rattle them. They have seen the worse, the only thing that will haunt them is there drug addiction, and hopefully the memory of there past will keep them clean. I know I have been clean for 372 day.
nathannathan124 3 years ago
i swear all junkies should go on a private idland so they stop begging us normal working people.
prettyvalerie19 3 years ago
Interesting suggestion, especially given that Chrissy-Boo was nearly murdered by her mother, a legal secretary poured boiling water on Chrissy, then an infant. Years later, Chrissy's uncle (a stockbroker) raped her repeatedly. And then he sold her to his poker buddies--a firefighter, an electrician, and a contractor. They raped her anally and vaginally for six months before finally releasing her to the streets. Thank the good Lord for normal working people. And for people like you.
billyklez 3 years ago
Very well said.
SSJkiller 3 years ago
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
myyarmyarm 3 years ago
what an ingorant fuck u are
myyarmyarm 3 years ago
Who are you referring to? prettyvalerie19 or billyklez?
billyklez 3 years ago
U of course I can't belive prettyvalerie19 would write something so ingorant great job by the way amazing story
myyarmyarm 3 years ago
Unfortunately, the world is overstocked with people whose addiction to ignorance far exceeds the addiction to heroin among the people they self-righteously scorn.
billyklez 3 years ago
Im a heroin addict and my life is hell, and unfortunatly I chose this lifestyle. I need help more than anything but the withdrawls are so intense I cant deal with them b/c I feel like Im dying. I live near Chicago and u would not believe how many other addicts there are. This is no way to live tho, but I feel their pain. I wish I can recieve the gift of recovery,I just dont know what to do, Im so lost, Im about to be 21 and this has been my life since I was 16,God please help me and these people
preciouzpistol 3 years ago
Hey, don't be so hard on yourself, despite the fact that you might have "chose" to use opiates, you didn't choose to be an addict - physiological factors played a role in that too, or else anyone whose ever been prescribed Vicodin would now be a junky. Have you tried Methadone? I've been on Methadone maintenance for years and it allowed me to go from a life similar to those in the film to a happy, productive, fun lifestyle. I'm in Chicago and can recomend a clinic if you need help.
-David Frank
hwydave 3 years ago
Hey David, are you or did you used to be a member of the A.T Watchdog/Methadone blog? As soon as I saw your name it just kind of clicked. I used to be a Chicago heroin addict for 4-5yrs. Once I moved out to Colorado I started Methadone maintenance & I was always on that A.T Watchdog site trying to gather info, etc. I believe I once asked you about a Methadone clinic in Chicago when I came home to visit my family. It want to say it was on N. Broadway. Well thanks & its good to hear you are well.
Brutananadilewski007 2 years ago
Hey, good to hear from you, and yep, I am a regular on atwatchdog. I am at the clinic on N. Broadway - hope they treated you well; they're normally pretty cool. Glad everything's going good.
-David
hwydave 2 years ago
Find a doctor that can give u Suboxone I have kicked it for 2 years now; thanks to that drug.
sinistermeatwaffle 3 years ago
where in the west side is this place at
chitowngee 3 years ago
God Bless Them All!
ejunk2 3 years ago
I ride the burlington metra into downtown almost daily for work/classes..and I've begun to notice two rather large scrap metal/junk shacks erected near the north side of the tracks somewhere between Cicero and Western. It's on the outskirts of a large industrial yard. I've yet to be able to specifically pinpoint the locale as the train moves pretty fast through here, but it always reminds me of this video.
msangie86 3 years ago
i read some of those comments and those of you who say fuck the junkies they knew what they were doing its there own fault- you's are full of shit, im an ex junkie an even though id heard heroin's bad etc i still went an did it. that doesnt make me stupid or a bad person, i just made a mistake.did u ever stopn to think that there are reasons a person might turn to something as bad as heroin to cope with a bad life or things that have happened that they cant cope with??? SMALL MINDED ASS HOLES!
taragh22 3 years ago 2
sweet home chicago!!!!
grovelhog 3 years ago
very nice video... kudos to you sir.
jordigarcia21 3 years ago
Christ heroin doesn't do THIS to these people. Do you have any idea of the inflated cost of drugs due to their illegality? The treatment these people suffer due to the social unacceptability of THEIR drug. They are criminalised, marginalised, they live below society. Attitudes such as 'they did this to themselves', help no one. Whats more, most heroin addicts are employed, even support families, and you are completely unaware of them.
brimky 3 years ago 2
John 8:7 "He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her."
qtpie20121 3 years ago 4
The poor homeless junkies, boo hoo. The first time they took heroin they knew the end results. So suggest they had no idea of what heroin is capable of is a joke. Lets talk about the familys of these poor junkies who go through hell everyday. Lets talk about the people these junkies rob. Lets talk about the kids left behind because these people wanted to shoot up instead of taking care of their kids. Thats who you should all feel bad for.
BostonMacK 3 years ago
you seem to think all junkies think and feel the same way, thats pretty ignorant, a person addicted to drugs is a person none the less, and saying the first time they did heroin they knew the end result is impossible, that would require to see the future, no one knows what it is like to be a junkie except for a junkie. stop placing people into categorizes, you are no better then them
sleepnow18 3 years ago
This is their own doing, most people have issues but you dont turn to drugs. THey have money for drugs they are just a disease and they dont want to behelped, they want to do drugs, period
mujibatt 3 years ago
THATS the disease! Its called addiction.
acidqueen69 3 years ago
At the end of the day,its people in research labs that came up with heroin and originally marketed it as a kids cough syrup. The governments of the world are the ones that invent this shit and then try to sweep the problem under the rug.
5571238 3 years ago
why is everyone bitching and moaning about weed? this shit is for real.. these people are hanging on by a thread. society needs to start caring about these people.
katyisgone 3 years ago
it SUCKS BEING HOMELESS AND STRUNG OUT...AND IT PROBABLY GETS COLD IN CHICAGO. WHEN IZ COLD YOU CANT FIND A VEIN!
thatcherotto 4 years ago
this video is sad someone needs to help these people not critisize them sure there junkies but they are still people and they have feelings too they just need to see a different way of life and no drugs is not the answer!!
Junglerush 4 years ago 6
I agree with esrollin.
My parents and close family member have been smoking weed for over 30 years. And are fine and healthy.
I love weed. Now you don't see a junkie saying they love to shoot up and live on the streets now do you?
supermansucksassman 4 years ago
My heart aches for these people---and the existence they endure.....It makes you wonder how they got there. I know drugs are the catalyst...but why some and not others? People need to stop being so judgmental. This (being homeless---not necessarily on drugs) could happen to anyone...and I mean ANYONE.
God Bless Everyone.
JUSNAY 4 years ago 3
how old are you??? you clearly have no real concept or experience of what drugs are able to do to people. Please leave you ungrounded and inexperienced opinions to yourself as impressionable people read your comments.
thanks
jobbyuk 4 years ago
This is why i stick to weed
esrollin 4 years ago 5
so do I but after 20 years of using, weed also drives you down to depression, be careful
mictgt 4 years ago
what do you think they started on???
jobbyuk 4 years ago
drink> everyone starts with booze not weed :)
MiBlazed420 3 years ago 2
the dude in the start is hard to understand maybe in the full length subtitles could be used
mace41canuck 4 years ago
never forget to do what u can for ppl who cant take care of themselfes , and who cant defend themselfs ..
do good unselfish things ,it will come back to u 10 times, same to bad shit u do ..
peace
vidira 4 years ago 2
I couldn't agree more ... well said. Best, Greg
billyklez 4 years ago
i wish that was true so much, but its not. if karma worked out right then the world would be an amazing place, something like heaven. im not religious in anyway im just saying what i think
mrchomet 4 years ago
as an ex addict i find this very intresting,if u know of any similar on youtube or anywhere else plz send me the links ,id be very thankfull
cuntbollock 4 years ago
I think it is safe to say that watching this video will have saved someone's life. Someone who thought about trying dope will not try it now. This video is very powerful and needs to be seen by all. It will save lives
Taxi502 4 years ago 2
Thank you for the exceedingly gratifying and encouraging comment. The feature-length version of this film is currently in production.
billyklez 4 years ago
the shots with the woman wearing orange pants in the little white "room" are great. she is a star. she seems like she has a very beautiful soul. and 20:50--wow!
lemondroprecipe 4 years ago
Here is a horrible crazy Homeless Man in Chicago. Google: "dave's stories" homeless
oobaaloobaa 4 years ago
I have lived that life, for almost 2 years- it's hard to get out. Thank God I had friends who would not give up on me.
dakkota74 4 years ago
l lived like that too for 5 years. Thank God my family and friends did not give up on me either. dakkota74, do we realize how lucky, under the grace of god, we are to be out of hell on earth
Taxi502 4 years ago
This video is really sad, because it's really real. There is a terrible shortage of treatment, especially for dual diagnosis patients (drugs and Mental illness). In my area there are more than twice as many addicts as treatment slots. Hopefully this documentary and others will bring attention to the problem and increase treatment options.
christo930 4 years ago 2
kool, he gave me copy but he scratched it up never did see it
rawjc 4 years ago
why don't you put begging for grace on here?
rawjc 4 years ago
Ahh ... because it's currently under consideration at several film festivals and also with a few television stations and cable channels. They don't like to be preempted by YouTube ..... And it seems that some people have been copying The Brickyard and distributing it under other names. Same with BFG ... I had it up for a little while, but then folks started pirating it.
billyklez 4 years ago
u still talk to dj aka freeway?
rawjc 4 years ago
yep, just saw him last night. he gave me a sculpture made from melted syringes. it's really quite beautiful.
billyklez 4 years ago
How can a sculpture made from nasty dirty smelly filthy disgusting needles be attractive?????
deanyorks 4 years ago
The same could be said for any piece of art ... its conversion from inert matter to "work of art" is a socially constructed process. And where taste is concerned, I suppose there is no arguing. No point.
billyklez 4 years ago
dude i have to see this sculpture is it on the net anywhere
mydaddy254 4 years ago
No, I have it in my office, take it to my classes, use it for teaching purposes .... i'll post a picture of it next week.
billyklez 4 years ago
what really pisses me of that im from ukraine and inmy country there were a lot of people like this simply because there was no jobs, here on the other hand if you want to and put your mind to it you can be whatever you want and get a job that would at least keep you of the street
arbachu 4 years ago
if addiction truly boils down to free will and the power of the mind, as you say, then the absence of jobs and/or poverty should not make one bit of difference. according to your theory, no one has an excuse, including people living in ukraine.
billyklez 4 years ago
and you know what i agree with that, my parents worked couple jobs to support us, instead they could of given up and make us all live in a cardboard box, so there is no excuse, you have 80 years to live on this planet thats roughly 30,000 days to make a difference in your life.
arbachu 4 years ago
living in a cardboard box and sustaining an addiction, which is a mental illness according to international medical standards, is more difficult than working two jobs. no one in the film makes any excuses or seeks pity ... and they all make a difference in someone else's life, even though many treat them as worthless. at least they have mercy, and the capacity to forgive and suspend judgment.
billyklez 4 years ago
well i guess there are two sides to every story, your point makes sense to me just like mine does, i guess it all depends on the situation
arbachu 4 years ago
yes, at least two sides to every story. some of the people in this film do bad things to others; most of them struggle every day with their mental illness. as with any population, a few are "bad" and most are "good." the problem is that "normal" people view them all as less than human. anyway, thanks for writing.
billyklez 4 years ago
and you know what i agree with that, my parents worked couple jobs to support us, instead they could of given up and make us all live in a cardboard box, so there is no excuse, you have 80 years to live on this planet thats roughly 30,000 days to make a difference in your life.
arbachu 4 years ago
laughing my arse off at the man at 19.42
paddythetinker 4 years ago
Add captions with the names of these people. Build some rapport with the people otherwise it is just strangers telling stories and it is not very engaging.
moogieotter 4 years ago
Add Subtitles.
moogieotter 4 years ago
Wow...what an amazing documentry you have put together.Definately an eye-opener.
rachelnz2010 4 years ago
My own daughter is a recovering heroin addict. She was the one who stumbled on this video and told me to watch it. She said she used to buy dope around this area. She thought the documentary was really good and was hoping you would do something more with it than just youtube it. I hope you do, too.
wake7775 4 years ago
Thank you for writing. I'm honored that your daughter found enough truth and intrigue in this short piece to pass it along to you. And yes, a full feature-length documentary on the same area is in production. Hopefully I will have the funds to finish and distribute it widely .... Thanks again for commenting on it .... My best to you and your daughter.
billyklez 4 years ago
i love to see people bringing attention to this. I was homeless in maywood (chicago west side) for a year and a half, stuck on blows. luckily, a friend of mine was willing to put me up so i could get my shit together, but alot of good people are still stuck out there. right on, brother.
Cr00kedCigarette 4 years ago
Sad situation,but i wonder how you can be sure that they wouldnt beat or kill you for your camera if they cant make enough to support the daily nut?Great job on a story that needs to be told!
wasiv101 4 years ago
Billyklez: have you followed up at all with the individiuals in your documentary? Just wondered how they were doing - if they were still alive and in the yard. You are right, they wouldn't want anyone's pity, but they have my prayers.
wake7775 4 years ago
Thanks for your inquiry. Yes, I am in daily contact with the folks in the film. The feature-length version is still in the production phase, so I'm still shooting footage. I also do a lot of health promotion outreach work with them. Everyone's getting along pretty well, although my dearest friend was recently murdered by her boyfriend. We're all still grieving her loss.
billyklez 4 years ago