Kalamazoo College alumnus Michael Soenen ’92, the concept creator and producer of Nothing to See Here: Watts, will return to K on June 11 to screen a documentary created by 20 members of the Watts community—including rival gang members, former Los Angeles Police Department officers, students and victims of violence—credited with catalyzing the 90% reduction in homicides in Watts during the 12 months after its community screenings.
The film has earned more than 100 awards worldwide. It has screened for 4,000 people at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, at the King Center in Atlanta for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and at Harvard University. Time magazine called it “a working playbook for how communities can reclaim their streets by telling their own stories.” Deadline described it as “one of the most remarkable documentaries of the year.”
The free event will take place Thursday, June 11, at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, 205 Monroe St. Doors open at 5 p.m. with the film beginning at 5:30 p.m. The screening is expected to end around 7 p.m., with a 30-minute panel afterward. Dinner and movie snacks will be provided. Registration is available online.
Soenen, who created the concept and produced the film, will be in attendance with filmmakers LaWanda Hawkins, whose son Reginald was murdered in an unsolved 1995 killing and who founded Justice for Murdered Children in his memory; Tyrone Riley Sr., a former Grape Street Crip and high school basketball coach; and Cornelius Wills, a former Bounty Hunter Blood and gang interventionist.
The event will feature LaWanda Hawkins’ “Silent March”—an exhibit featuring more than 200 pairs of shoes, each belonging to a child lost to violence in the community.
After the screening, the filmmakers will join in a panel discussion with representatives from local organizations Bent Not Broken, Peace During War and KalSAFE. The conversation will connect themes from the documentary with efforts in Kalamazoo to support youth, prevent violence and build safer communities.
For more information about the screening, contact Arcus Center Associate Director CoCo Canders at Coco.Canders@kzoo.edu.
About the Film
Nothing to See Here: Watts is a community-made documentary produced by Nothing to See Here: Productions, created by 20 members of the Watts community—including rival gang members, former LAPD officers, students and victims of violence. More information and trailer at www.nothingtoseeheremovie.com.
About Kalamazoo College
Founded in 1833, Kalamazoo College is a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences college located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Through the K-Plan, its signature approach to education, students design a personalized path that combines rigorous academics with study abroad, undergraduate research, career and civic engagement, and a Senior Integrated Project. Known for its global, experiential approach to learning, Kalamazoo College is a member of Colleges That Change Lives and is included on The Princeton Review “Best Colleges” and “Best Value Colleges” lists. Learn more at kzoo.edu.
