Streetwise is an unflinching look at teens living on the streets of Seattle, one of the first documentaries to address the growing issue of homelessness among young people.
It all started with a Life magazine article by photojournalist Mary Ellen Mark and writer Cheryl McCall. Mark and her husband, director Martin Bell, returned to Seattle to film the daily lives of throwaways and runaways.
The film is shot cinéma vérité style, with no narration to guide the viewer. Bell and Mark found a group of subjects willing to talk about their lives of panhandling, prostitution, petty crime, and drugs.
These teens are proud of their survival skills, but there's a strong undercurrent of wistfulness in their observations. The film also provides glimpses into the family lives that led them to the streets.
There are heartbreaking stories of an alcoholic mother, a girl who refuses to go home even after her stepfather promises not to harm her, and a convict bullying his son during a jailhouse visit.
This documentary inspired Mark and Bell's next project, the feature American Heart, set in Seattle. Mark later published a book of her photographs titled Streetwise in 1988.
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Streetwise
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The Teddy Bear's Picnic
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John W. Bratton:
Performer
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Take Care Of All My Children
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Rat's Theme
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