With eleven years in the making, this is a film about transformation, growing up poor in one of the wealthiest areas in the United States, and getting into trouble early on. Some find their way to a free program in Oakland, California that offers a lifeline – rigorous training to become firefighters and first responders. But the streets keep calling. What makes one kid heed that call and another ignore it?
Biography:
Mimi Chakarova covered global issues examining conflict, corruption and the sex trade. Her first film The Price of Sex, a feature-length documentary on the trafficking of women, was awarded the Nestor Almendros Award for courage in filmmaking at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. She was also the winner of the prestigious Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding International Investigative Reporting and a Dart Awards Finalist for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma. Chakarova went on to direct, shoot and produce five other feature-length documentaries and over 30 award-winning short films. Chakarova is the founder and creative director of Still I Rise Films, a documentary series about resilience and rising above the odds. Mimi Chakarova is the recipient of the Dorothea Lange Fellowship for outstanding work in documentary photography and the Magnum Photos Inge Morath Award. Chakarova's work has appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The Sunday Times Magazine, London, CBS News' 60 Minutes, CNN World, BBC World, Al Jazeera English, among others.
Aisha Knowles wanted to be an investigative journalist when she grew up. In addition to documentary production, Aisha works full time as the Public Affairs Manager at the Fremont Fire Department. She devoted 15 years of service to the Alameda County Fire Department and was the first woman to hold the position of Public Information and Community Relations Officer. Aisha has served three terms as Board President of the Alameda County Board of Education. Aisha became the first Black President of the Rotary Club of San Leandro.
