As I watched the film “Streetwise”, I was beyond shocked to see teens so involved in drugs, stealing, and prostitution. Though it was disturbing, it sheds light on an important subject and helps serve as a catalyst for conversation and movement regarding the topic. I feel the film is most successful because of how intimate it feels, which is a feeling evoked by the relationship the subjects have with the person behind the camera. The camera almost feels like an invisible pair of eyes: revealing painful details about the subjects and capturing their genuine actions. These “invisible eyes” help emphasize the reality of their heartbreaking situations, but had there been no trust between the kids and the filmmaker, audiences would’ve never witnessed their most intimate struggles. I believe the filmmakers gained their trust by making them feel seen and respected; they did not judge the teens featured and they focused on the kids, who are usually ignored.
(Will continue…)
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