ABOUT THE PROJECT

LOGLINE
As Los Angeles rebirths itself in the annual rites of spring, we follow the lives of Angelenos, tracing their histories to discover how we’ve arrived at this moment in time.

SYNOPSIS
LOS ANGELES IN THE MONTH OF MAY presents Los Angeles lived in the here and now. From the streets of K-Town to the palaces of Beverly Hills; the beach bums of Venice to the young black entrepreneurs of Compton, South Central, and Watts.

Using the cinéma verité style pioneered in Chris Marker’s Le Joli Mai (1963), the stories of modern Los Angelenos blend together, weaving seemingly disparate and unrelated tales into a coherent and intertwined narrative that gives the viewer an unvarnished truth about the citizens of this megalopolis. At its core, LOS ANGELES IN THE MONTH OF MAY tells the story of what it takes to make it in this city glorified by many but understood by few.

We live in interesting times in Los Angeles. When Spanish colonizers first came to the region in 1781, they could have never known that this city built upon the white sands of the Los Angeles River would become the second largest city in America. Asphalt and concrete someday replacing the birds, prairies and riots of wildflowers that dotted the river’s fertile banks.

The Los Angeles River proves that you must adapt or die; the people of Los Angeles show that despite the changing environment, people are often proven hardier than water. By delving into the origins of Los Angeles, we gain a foundation for the stories of the present.

PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature

DIRECTOR Ellington Tynes
PRODUCER Cassius Kim