As the state of California grapples to find solutions to long-standing problems, community interest in addressing food insecurity, mental health, drug abuse, and homelessness has been on the rise.
Yuba City Vice Mayor Shon Harris is no stranger to dealing with the public’s opinion on the area’s unhoused population. In addition to his work with the city, Harris has conducted over 30 interviews with people experiencing homelessness throughout the region. These conversations prompted him to write a screenplay entitled “The Road to Resilience,” a dramatization that braids various tales into a one-hour feature film.
“I’ve taken all the dozens of people that I’ve interviewed, and plan to interview, and taken bits and pieces of their stories to craft a narrative,” said Harris. “I’m trying to capture their humanity and show the struggles they face with an explanation of how they got to where they are.”
A grant program known as Upstate California Creative Corps, through the California Arts Council, has helped fund Harris’ endeavor along with that of seven other local artists and cultural organizations. In total, Harris received about $26,000, which will be used in both the production and in the hiring of unhoused individuals.
“They will be technical advisors, if you will. Some of them are going to function as crew, security, and extras,” explained Harris.
Harris started dabbling in film making a little over two years ago following his retirement. He had always been interested in the artform, but struggled to find the time to dedicate to any one project. YouTube became a vital resource for him and helped him decide on what type of equipment to purchase. An online film course through New York Film Academy was also quite helpful.
His first film, “Dee – a tribute 92 years in the making,” was a documentary focused on Harris’ grandmother. It premiered at the first Yuba-Sutter Film Festival in 2021. Next came a few local commercials and some public service announcements for First 5 Yuba County and another on human trafficking for the Soroptimist Club of Marysville-Yuba City.
Lot 54 Films is now the official name of Harris’ up-and-coming production company and “The Road to Resilience” will be his largest project to date.
The proposed storyline intends to follow a female protagonist with a young daughter. After a domestic violence issue causes the individual to lose her financial stability, she struggles to find a consistent support network to lean on. The appearance of various characters such as friends, family, and acquaintances allow Harris to introduce common topics associated with homelessness as discovered through his interviews. These include issues such as bureaucracy, thievery, mistrust, transportation, inconsistent resources, and untreated medical ailments.
Harris plans to hire, cast, and shoot primarily from within the Yuba-Sutter region with filming projected to commence in January 2024.
“It’s a nationwide problem, so I’m going to try and neutralize any of the locations. I want the story to apply anywhere,” added Harris.
Harris hopes to premiere the finished project in late June with a potential showing at the Sutter Theater Center for the Arts in Yuba City. Afterwards, the goal is to submit the piece to as many film festivals as possible.
