I just wanted to give a quick update about the City Invincible film release date.  As many of my watchers know, I had to push completion of the film back till the end of August 2010, mostly due to new material I obtained only just recently, and that I now intend to include in the finished film.

This week turned into a very busy library research and photo follow up week for my documentary about revitalizing hope in Camden, N.J. Several of the the location projects in the city of Camden have completed construction, or are very near to completion, like the South Camden Theater near Sacred Heart, and the Campbell's Soup Building in the Gateway district. But, more importantly, I took a look at the pulse of the city since former Camden City Council member, Dana Redd, took over as the Mayor in January.

Deep in trying to complete the edit of City Invincible I discovered there are a few things on the photographic journey wish list I still need. 

The last few months have been pretty intense while I work on research and an assembly of the first draft of my documentary "City Invincible."  I've had a lot of time to reflect on all the conversations I had over the course this one year since I began the film project, and to see some things in Camden and New Jersey change, some good, and some not.  But one thing that stood out on a recent journey back to Camden was my visit to the newly constructed South Camden Theatre project by Heart of Camden; where a team of Qwest employee volunteers were painting, it looked great!.  And the Riverfront Prison has finally been reduced to a pile of rubble behind a partial barbed wire fence. I suppose the neighborhood should be happy for the quick progress in Camden, which normally takes far too long, but I couldn't help but think about how empty that neighborhood felt with the prison gone, strange I know. I hope the planning committees will double up efforts to bring something good to the neighborhood soon, and so Sister Helen can point to something else positive growing in their neighborhood of North Camden.



NOTE: My first draft of the film was pushed for July, 2010, with my hope to finish the Final Cut in Sept, 2010.

Peace Out, T.J.

 

One of the last events I filmed in 2009 for City invincible was the Camden Peace Vigil that Sister Helen Cole prepared at Saint Joan of Arc church in Camden's Fairview neighborhood. Sister Helen invited family and friends of those who died due to violence in 2009 to come and pray for one hour for each individual whose life was lost.

It was a very solemn event. And each name on Sister Helen's list was given an hour of prayer time, working backwards from 6 p.m. on New Years Eve. Needless to say, she was busy for several days overseeing the vigil. 

The sadness striking this community really hit home for me that day when I saw all the candles lined up in front of the church representing each person who died in 2009, and their names written on a long scroll opened up next to the altar.

 

 

While Camden did have fewer violent deaths in 2009 than the previous year, it is cold comfort to the people who live in affected neighborhoods where this kind of event is common. Hopefully they will stay strong and fight back against the violence that tears families and the city apart. 

Next year my hope would be for no names on the list, but I am a realist, and I know that at least we can work on reducing the number of homicides in 2010, if not all together eliminating them. 

It is sobering note to know that Camden's population is approximately 78,000, and half that number are children, and yet to be named as the country's most violent. I believe that is a real wake up call for all American cities facing tough times to be vigilant, and come together.

Be invincible! 

Peace, 

TJ

I'm currently in my home office editing the film together, and is so difficult for me sometimes to separate myself  from the people I met and just look at them as subjects of a film. Everyone was so amazing, the images of difficultly they face daily was so overwhelming, and the little journeys I went on personally while working in Camden throughout 2009 have forever impacted how I view the world around us, and the thousands of little ways we are all interconnected.

I can only say I hope we all find that one person in our lives who believes in us and is there to restore hope when we need it most.

Tentative first draft of the film:  March 31, 2010.

Remember you can all be "invincible."  Peace all!  

TJ

Camden in the sunlight has a glow to it. Even the buildings in need of repair or replacement have an amazing look to them in the right light. It was something I discovered when Sister Helen Cole and I were touring the area around North Camden. Sure there is a lot of need for in-fill where blight took hold, but everywhere we looked nature had a way of coming forward to reclaim the areas in some beautiful way; flowers in the cracks, deer wandering along Cooper River in the Park, and the sun sending a glow to brighten even the darkest  corners.

For some this might not seem like much, but to us it was a case of the ugly parts of life in Camden being made beautiful again. And it was a reminder, life can be that beautiful even in the worse areas of Camden, and Camden can be beautiful again.

After the last few weeks of filming interviews in Camden I am finally taking a moment to catch my breath and to update my websites. It is also a contemplative time for me as I go into editing. Now I must look back over the footage, and recall the genuine stories of deep pain and of finding new hope, and of the decaying urban places that were at once precious and humbling. So many times I found myself being invited into the homes of people who were happy to share meals with me, and give me shelter from the hot streets, and a couch to sleep on, and it wasn't till I was leaving to return my comfortable home that it struck me just how humbling working in Camden, NJ has been. People have so much to give each other, if only we would all open ourselves to receive it.

You can see the world as a cruel place, if all you look for is the despair and deceit that ruins lives. However, I believe more often the world is great big community with hearts that unite around common needs and that we all need to share in to survive. I may not be able to convince people who are fearful or mocking of Camden to give it chance, or to lend a hand in reviving hope, but I am certain that my efforts have at least touched a few people and maybe, just maybe, the world will find a little more peace and compassion take hold, and deliver something good to someone in the city on the Delaware.

I stand humbled, and happy for having my eyes opened.

City Invincible, The Journey

Wow, what an amazing journey I have been on since we first started production of this film. I never thought I would get so far. Now as I near the final set of interviews, and begin the long days of editing and discovering which footage and photos make it into the cut, I can't imagine not having done this film. 
The residents and business people who let me into their lives, from the "Mayor of Tent City," a homeless camp in Camden, to the woman running for Mayor of Camden, Dana Redd, to ordinary families, like Anthony and his mother Rosa (pictured left) raising their kids in blighted neighborhoods, all were often concerned about how they might be portrayed in the film after I edit. After all, the news coming out of Camden and aired on ABC, and printed in the New York Times, often focused on the hopeless situation of the people and the city, but over and over again I met people who dream big, and work hard, and who were friendly and proud of their city, and completely unwilling to give up. Yes, it is no easy path to live in Camden, and there are those who will probably leave and never look back, but most everyone who chooses to stay is trying to make Camden a better place, and a new place place everyone would be welcome. Maybe that's what attracted Walt Whitman all those years ago, the real bravery of the men and women of that city to work hard and never give up.

I know it will be difficult deciding what gets into the film, and what gets cut, but I believe after seeing the finished film you will walk away feeling the deep sense of hope that I feel. And maybe special place in your heart for the stories from Camden.  --- TJ

Touring the North Camden areas with Sister Helen


As we walked along the North Camden streets, Sister Helen stopped me several times to point out the areas she referred to as "Holy Ground" during interviews. These are places of great significance to remember the fallen people in the tough neighborhood that has been damaged by years of open drug trade and violence. Sister Helen has made it a part of her mission to help to heal the families touched by these crimes, and to companion those family members who are left behind in grief.

While many outside the neighborhood only see the crimes on the news, they miss out on the real story that rarely gets heard, the great hearts an healers like Sister Helen, and the community residents, who haven't given up or run away from North Camden's problems, but who stay and work hard to build a better community.

I admire those fearless people, and I only wish we could all find their strength and resolve in our own lives.