The Lot

About the film

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2016

• Short

• 16 min

Drama

Directed by Russell Blanchard

Part coming of age story, part community action story, find out what happens when adults and kids work together toward a common goal.

New Orleans Film Festival, Crossroads Film Festival, Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival, San Jose International Short Film Festival, Fairhope Film Festival, Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, Urban Film Festival, Lone Star Film Festival, Los Angeles Feedback Film Festival, San Francisco Urban Film Festival

About the film

Extras

Director's statement

THE LOT is intended to spread a message of hope and the idea that we all have the power to make a change in the world around us. I was in an empty coffee shop one block from my house in New Orleans, when I struck up a conversation with the cafe owner, Baakir Tyehimba. We discussed the topic of reaching out to help others and how sometimes people miss opportunities that exist outside their own window. Baakir told me a story that seven years prior he had attempted to turn the blighted lot across the street into a park for kids, but was ultimately unsuccessful due to bureaucratic red tape. After returning home, the story of his efforts to make a difference resonated with me. I wrote THE LOT based on that conversation. During filming I knew we had already found a small measure of success when Baakir pulled me aside to tell me the film production had united the neighborhood again, just like his park project years ago. Upon completion our goal was to reach a wide audience through film festiv