In 1999, the Sanford family began to film their day by day life in a dangerous neighborhood in Washington, only 17 blocks from the US Capitol. The journalist and filmmaker Davy Rothbart joined the mission. The documentary focuses on characters from four generations of the Sanfords: Emmanuel, a dedicated student; his brother Smurf, a local drug dealer; his sister Denice, an aspiring cop, and his mother Cheryl, who must conquer her own demons for her family to prosper. Spanning two decades, the documentary illuminates a nation’s ongoing crisis through one family’s raw, stirring, and deeply personal saga.

Presented in Tribeca and Karlovy Vary film festivals.