Produced by Conscious Youth Media Crew in San Francisco, Calif. 2008

Director: Brian McArthur; Director of Photography: Ruben Palomares; Producers: Krista Kim, Debra Koffler, Samm Styles; Assistant Director: Jessica Gonzalez; Executive Producer: Debra Koffler; Starring: Charles "C-Dubb" Williams

CYMC Choice of Weapons Statement Summary

Our first entirely youth-produced feature film “ A Choice of Weapons” tells the story of a young street hustler and his struggles to find a sense of purpose as he lives in a rapidly changing community facing the threat of evictions, gentrification, and environmental racism. Bayview Hunter’s Point, a predominantly low-income area in the southeastern part of San Francisco, is one of the city’s last remaining African-American neighborhoods and is currently undergoing major redevelopment. Although the area has sprawling views of San Francisco Bay and the city’s famous skyline, it contains some of the most environmentally hazardous land left behind by various industrial plants and the US Navy activity at Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard until it was closed in 1974 when declared a Superfund site. In addition to intense poverty and street violence, Bayview residents report the city’s highest rates of cancer, asthma, and other related illnesses. The filmmakers wrote this original film because many of the issues touched upon–gun violence, turf wars, poverty, public housing, and environmental hazards and health issues- all resonated within their own lives.

This film was made possible by a grant from the California Council for the Humanities Digital Filmmakers Project, as well as our individual donors. CYMC Conscious Youth Media Crew (CYMC) encourages low-income youth to become lifelong learners and positive, productive community leaders. Through our unique San Francisco-based youth training program in media arts and digital video, youth increase their experience with visual arts, practice creative self-expression, develop voice, gain technology skills and increase their employability, while also becoming involved in the community as media producers and young leaders.