Saludos, mi gente. My name is Adrian Nava, writer and director of this short film. The idea for this student film-my short film debut in college-stems from a true story and personal experience in my life. They say write what you know and that is exactly what I did when I wrote the screenplay, I pulled the story from my own life. There are minor embellishments for dramatic purposes that drive the story and some names have been changed. I was never comfortable talking about my gang related past because I felt it was stereotypical but at the same time I always felt compelled to share it because I could help steer people away from gangs. The story is about my friend Humberto Gutierrez's murder due to gang violence and how it affected me to seek an escape from the cycle of violence. Humberto's story still haunts those of us that knew him but it reminds us all to live our lives with purpose. Remember, we are not born hating one another. ¡Viva La Raza! Blessings and thank you for watching, Adrian
AztekStudio glad to hear someone is trying to make a difference & talk about are everyday struggle in life I've also lost friends 2 gang violence I have true stories for you if you need some hit me up compa I'm hear to show support Long live your legacy & keep working hard my friend You have my support & sub keep grinding in the movie industry 💪🏾👍🏾🍻🇲🇽🌎🇺🇸💰🔑(GOD BLESS ALL OF US FAM)
AztekStudio what's good first god is great sec thank u for the short film yes typically sterio but in hood nature I to love to write I am seeking one day on a true tell book on hard life of a drug addict mom and dad raising kids based on true events with me luck there is so much to tell ill leave it there once again thank u y adios
Damn Rest In Peace Humberto. I didn’t even know you but the people closest to you are keeping your legacy alive. God bless everyone who watches this short film.
Genesis Espinoza God bless you too ma’am. And yes it is hard seeing real life happen to these innocent people my dad and family are from a gang and I was raised around them all. It’s real and it affects everybody around especially the ones who try to get away they seem to fall first and the hardest. The Lord says to watch your words and actions and he’s not one to be taken lightly.😔❤️💯
Lived same gang life, been to prison many times , involved in drugs lost many good homies. I found my lord JESUS my whole life changed completely. I'm a new man now. That's why this flick touches my heart and all of your other short films, thank you.
Wow this really hit home as someone who experienced this in 2004 too. My brother was shot and died due to gang violence when I was a little girl too and trust me it's something that changes everything in the home. You never want to see your parents cry for a child due to this I got trauma as a little girl and other things. Just remember you may leave but the people who love you stay here to suffer.
I lost a nephew his so called friends doesn't know anything but you know the streets talk RIP Baby joeluis Martinez my sister would never be the same as before love your child never know what go happen when they walk out them doors with so called friends
i lost so many people.. when younger i was always told this is life.. this is not a life.. i was tired of losing friends.. i lost my bestie Nov.2007 i miss him everyday..♡
I'm east Africans and have absolutely nothing to do with Mexican American culture but I absolutely love u guys and everything u represent. Plz be well and don't kill each other for stupid senseless reasons like this much love for u all from Sudan.
@@MrPhresh25 What does neiborhood have to do with territory? Those gang bangers didn’t fix the street or build the houses it’s so childish. It reminds me of toddlers taking over a sand box or a big slide for other kids to go on safely 😂
@@Kitty_bandida22 I’m saying fam he didn’t know them as individuals.Because that’s like going up to some random gangbangers and saying hey waddup my Niggas.And then all of a sudden them saying yo bro who tf are you,do you know where you at.And then one of them standing up saying like yo I will kill you right where you stand and have my homies dump ya body in a bodybag so that you can be among trash like Bruh stop fucking playing with me Bruh for you become a statistic in my hood now get the fuck on.
Wow. This is powerful. The message. This is terrible things like this happen everyday and us chicanos kill each other, hate each other, fight each other over nonsense. I’ve never been in a gang myself, but I lost two uncles over this bullshit. By his own homies. His own people he used to call brothers killed him. His own gang. The effects and the PTSD I experienced after that happened has effected me even till this day as an adult. That little girl in the film I really felt for her and I even cried watching this cuz I know exactly what that feels like. I hope this film can help and show our people, our culture is more than gangs, drugs, guns, violence and all the other shit that has plagued our people. We have a beautiful culture. We need to stop hurting each other. Love mi raza. Keep making these films. Hopefully it can show our younger generation there is a better way.
Makes me think about how many times I might've been inches from death, without even knowing. Always tell your family you love them before you go anywhere. The one time you don't could be the last time you see them.
I can say I never did any wrong in my life always tried live richest I went Out with a couple of men who have done wrong in their lives all I ever wanted from them was to riches.but I learned you can't change a drug addict or gangbanger.cause their already stuck in their wrong ways of living.all you can do is be their for them show them there are people besides their so call homies who love them they need to want to change for themselves and same with drug addicts cause all these men are missing OS true love in their lives.The four people they really left down is they lord their mothers who gave them birth families and that true girl they had who had nothing but faith in and family. Love you my lord thank you for giving chance to be in my love life,and make him happy like you wanted me to for the sake of his mother who will never be for gotten and keep him safe in that hell of a place he didn't want to be or did his mother but his wrong chooses got him there locked up.Also my two friends who we're my ex but care for them but their to stuck on there drugs that have them in hell on there own mind and body.To all think before you take action in your life.
I’m at work (in the office)I was watching short horror films before this so I was already freaked out. That gun shot made me scream. Lol. I said there was a spider.
I like these short films. I grew up in the same enviroment but in Oakland Ca. Keep these short films coming they hopefully can inspire the youth of today.
Damn his own girl got him , unfortunately that's how it is with us Mexicans/Hispanics ,it's always our significant other/our partners who mostly end up taking us out ,burned by our own Raza ,..I really like what they we're setting up to do and be better idols to represent the Raza better.💙 Great film #ripHumberto
jokerella casper not just Mexicans in bay area u got Hondurans paisas and nicoyas those 2 are the mas Marranas yup them meth hoes nicoyas in the city do a line of meth then broom the room all the way to the street broomin ready for the chisme
Shit I’m 6 feet tall and my moms 4’2” and I’ve never disrespected her like that, I made shure I called her every night to let her know I was ok that’s my heart!
I moved my boys from Cali to Utah in hopes I would never have to bury them because I went through some shit growing up in Sur Central ... had a lot of homies that didn’t live to see 18 ... that’s why when I hear that song .. I’m 18 with a bullet it brings back memories ... to all those single parents don’t ever give up on ur children ... my momma didn’t love me but I kept going 🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️
Aww, that's a sweet song, but all the crowd who calls doo-wop "oldies" (I don't know, some of them appear to be gang-ish? Some look like they just like lowriders and art.) misinterprets the hell out of "18 With a Bullet". It's the same thing with white people and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Gimmie Back My Bullets" (white people think it's about, like, freedom and bearing arms). Bullets, in these songs, refer to a song that's rising really high on the Billboard charts. Songs back in the day that were rising really quickly were given a bullet next to it, so, he's singing about how he's 18 with a hot, rising hit song already. Not some fool with a single .38 cartridge, ha. Still, I see where and why you draw the symbolism, and I wish the best to you and your family.
No winning in this game. I was born into it and like many in my 30's see the yrs have passed running tha streets. Have done and seen it all. For anybody reading this, a single breath is a blessing letting you know it's not to late. I'm goin through it with you, God bless.
Great job on this project. It's the reality a lot of us Latinos live growing up in rough neighborhoods. A lot of people can't or won't relate to this film because they don't know the lifestyle these young men are faced with day in day out. I like the message you guys are sending to our people "Viva La Raza" . Let's get this tanned man out of the Oval Office! Orale!
It’s a stupid “lifestyle” and the adults should work harder to stop it from happening. I grew up around this crapstyle and my dad beat the living daylights out of me if I ever considered going into a gang. Thank god for that ass beating. Good hearts ruined by what they think is how they should live.
And yet these stories tell of tragedy but the issue remains within the neighborhood's. Youngsters still getting jump in feeding the correctional pipeline or cemeteries. I'm in my early 40s and when I look back nothing has change.
Man this changed my way of thinking:/ this to deep now I be thinking bout my moms and sisters and my baby bro what if something wrong were to happen with the people I be hanging with, this changed the way I think man fr
+Edgar Martinez Your comment stands out the most to me, brother. Some vatos are too brainwashed and lost in the web and some may never change. If our film has made an impact on you, then we did our job. I too had to stop and think about my family when the drama came knocking on my door. If not caring about them and willing to risk their wellbeing over my actions made me a hardcore gangster, then chale, I didn't want to be that. You can be gangsta by being a man of honor and respect. I'm serious when I say how can we say viva la Raza and hate our own people? It's hypocritical. We have to be warriors for our communities, for our gente, and for the little ones that look up to us. We have to instill a sense of pride in who they are and where they come from. Our culture and history is rich and we have to learn from it and pass on the knowledge. Don't be a puppet, be a leader.
Yes sir I definitely agree with every single word, I’ve been through it dawg.. I’ve put my moms and my little sibling through so much but this really made an impact to me, I don’t want them to see me behind bars or in a coffin, thank you Brother
@b nanas Nah Its Kool I Really Dont Know It Was Just A Family Nickname Everyone That Kicked It With Him Just Picked Up On It We Never Bother To Ask What Was The Meaning To It
Yo this shit just hit me in the heart . I too was like that months ago . Mad at the world riding with guns all the times I have a little sister whom I care for and I know my mom and her would've been devastated if I where to get killed . Luckily I left to Mexico to cool down for a while . I honestly dont know where I would've been right now if I didnt left Chicago.
Man keep dropping these are so amazing. Plus such a strong positive message. You do amazing we work big fan of your Work. Keeping rocking and rolling 🔥🍻
this video hit home. As an adult the very intro hit me hard because my mom told me she doesn't want the police to come and tell her i been hit. " Te van a matar un dia aya fuera mijo, ya por favor deja tus amigos, no te quieren no son buenas gentes " i had that little speech implanted in my head since the age of 16. That's been over 10+ years. Thank God i'm here and my parents moved me east. I'm a parent and i fully understand the stress and worries they went through. Fun and a scary life all in one. def not worth it though.
Hello My friends and I turn my life round it's 26 years now and if you need a friend i always call me and we could make it together love you Lord and blessed every one in heaven
It’s great to see more and more independent films depicting life of Mexicans or any other Central or South American people experiencing life in the United States. I wish those racists labels that have been tagged on our indigenous and mixed race people by the Europeans would stop being used, I’m referring to “hispanic/latino” if you research history and the conquest of the America’s, you’ll uncover how racists those labels are. The worst is our own people using those labels to identify ourselves! We are Mexicans, Central Americans, South Americans, and the majority of pure or mixed indigenous ancestry. It’s time to self identify! We are all AMERICANS, the original inhabitants of this grand continent, and the majority of us being Mestizos. #WeAreMestizos
Great job on the film and great job on the message behind it and shedding light on a senseless lose of life. Enjoyed the film but sad it was based on a true story
I can laugh with you... because you want to know what's funnier? I was able to finish school that day and go home. Go about my business and on with my life in peace. A load off my shoulders after confronting the problem and all the bullshit and walking away from it all. I later learned they never even got to throw down after school because they were caught and prevented by either the school officials and/or the police - I can't quite remember who exactly because I wasn't there. They were caught with bats and supposedly other types of weapons in someone's trunk across the street from our school. I kept my distance and my former homie continued on the gang path, eventually incarceration. A few years later after high school we ran into each other at the local mall and he recognized me. Instead of bringing up the past, he greeted me and shook my hand. We ran into each other again after sometime and I could see the "gangsta" life had taken a toll on him. Again we greeted each other and went on about our lives. No hard feelings or grudges. I don't know, perhaps he had come to realize I had made the right decision when we were younger when I walked away from la vida loca. Prior to that he knew I was down to back up the homies - there was never any doubt about that. I didn't have anything to prove. I can see why it might've hurt him and pissed him off at the time to see me choose another way in life. I'm 35 now. A family man. Still alive and as healthy as I've ever been. I know I made the right decision. I'm more mature and wise now. I can read your comment and laugh with you because I know better. I know my story and all the context that goes beyond this short film that was my life in the tangle of the craziness. I wish you well and all the best in life. Thanks for taking the time to watch my short film.
Fantastic work!! Cant believe it’s your 1st film. You have great talent and will shine bright. Powerful message. #Bayluv #925 God bless his soul. My best friend died in my arms at the age of 17 due to gang violence. Rip Pelon
@The Professional Gracias. Sorry to hear about your best friend Pelon. That was Humberto's nickname for me, "Pelon." May both their souls have eternal peace.
This movie made me cry so much it hit home, I worry every single day for my son many of his friends passed away, and I knew them I did not care if they were in a gang, they are still human , a lot have been through a lot. But my self as a mother I never want that knock in the door, my sons are my life, yes in moves they talk about the gangs but it s life sad to say, but how about the pain of the parent that has to live with that life style, not because you want to but because your love one is one, iam not going to judge because I know many that are respectful and just want ✊ many point fingers just because they are bold or have tattoos and right away they say look at that no good cholo, love this movie we need more like this, one called a mothers cry😢 Rip to all the fallen
Im 45 years old and survived street life ,drug use. Gang fights ,jail, prison car accident. And what not. Ive lost many peers lately. It's really made me reflect on what is important these days. Most important is a relationship with Jesus the son of God.anything else is just like the air we breath in the wind coming and going but the eternal destination of our souls is what we do not think about much.
Dam This is very heartbreaking hope n pray everyone come to Peace n stop the killing n ect Love one another n stop all this hateness n gangs retaliation
Amazing story I'm a big fan of your work. Raza don't kill Raza sadly some of this food forgot their roots and give no fucks about their own but worst others life's. Stay up homie and keep up the great work!
This honestly hit home I’ve lost a lot of people growing up due to gang violence it hurts my brother is in a gang he would never be home I would always cry cuz knowing how shit went down in my area he could easily get shot at anytime even tho he would tell me shit that hurt and he would always be in and out of my life I always believed in him that he can change he did for a lil but now idk cuz he stopped talking to me and asta my family tambien they don’t know where he is the shit is that I moved to Texas so I can’t do shit about it all I could do is just pray to god to take care of him .
This goes out to all u trynna fit in . Listen to ur parents educated urselfs set up goals .protect ur family n rmmber trus no man or woman ...mejor solito n listo para todo!!!
The way the officer said. Just because he’s not here. Doesn’t mean he’s not watching you from wherever he is. Says a lot. Especially without Jesus Christ in your heart. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. Only through him you will meet the father.
You never know when u gonna lose someome may he rest in paradise I may not know him or any of you all but my respects I'm sorry for your lost that messed up
This shit hit me my bro I met 1 time got shot and killed in a gang and my uncle died too due to gang violence and my biggest regret is not spending time with them they were in the folks and my uncle wasn’t in a gang my bro was my uncle just got involved when he shouldn’t have
