Helen de Michel
Between the Sun and the Sidewalk
Between the Sun and the Sidewalk is a narrative-based documentary propelled by the political organizing work of Christian Garcia, Aurora Castellanos, and a cohort of a dozen energetic young adults and teens.
Working together through The Organizing and Leadership Academy (TOLA), they embark on a grassroots campaign to seed and lead a health equity and soda tax initiative in Stockton, California. Christian and Aurora share a deep commitment to mentoring other young people in the art and practice of classic organizing for the purpose of creating lasting social change and positive impact in people’s daily lives.
Director
Helen de Michel is deeply involved in co-creative and participatory media practices, including combinatory storytelling which I call open space new media. I co-authored Open Space New Media Documentary: A Toolkit for Theory and Practice (Routledge 2018) with film historian Patricia Zimmermann. I write about my own creative experiences, knowledge, and insight into these processes and possibilities. My episodic documentary, Lunch Love Community (2010-15) circulated as an open space project across live and online communities; and, along with Berkeley Vs. Big Soda (2016), continues to make a real impact for global food justice.
