De marillac academy

Established in 2001, De Marillac Academy provides a tuition-free education that focuses on academic excellence in a values-based environment. Co-sponsored by the Daughters of Charity and De La Salle Christian Brothers, De Marillac offers a Catholic, private school education to low-income students from all faith and cultural backgrounds in the Tenderloin and other similar neighborhoods. De Marillac’s educational model is rooted in the Nativity Miguel school movement, which began in New York City over 40 years ago in response to the poor state of urban public schools, the high cost of private education, and the lack of local schools in many inner-city neighborhoods. In 2001, De Marillac opened with a class of nineteen 6th graders. Today, De Marillac Academy serves 119 fourth through eighth grade students, 231 alumni, and over 230 families in our school and our unique wrap around clinical and family support program.  

This film was a PSA that director James Niebur and I collaborated with Heist to produce for the De Marillac Academy. I was terrified walking through some of these streets in the Tenderloin with a camera as a grown adult but I have so much respect for the bravery these kids have who have to walk these streets alone day in and day out while surrounded by drug addicts, prostitution, violence and an endless amount of other illegal activity that goes on in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco.

CREDITS:

Production Company: Heist
Producer: Adrienne Hall
Director: Jamie Neibur
Director of Photography: Devin Whetstone 
Colorist: Ayumi Ashley @ Mission Film and Design