Maybe it's because of its dicey reputation, or maybe it's just because no one has really bothered, there aren't a lot of movies shot at or about the Jordan Downs housing project in Watts. But a new documentary from filmmaker Drew Bachrach goes into the complex to attempt to capture the climate at the complex's squat buildings as it prepares for a massive redevelopment. As the film's description notes, the community is slated to be completely rebuilt into an "urban village" that will put new mixed-use buildings and mixed-income housing on the site, in the hopes of drawing a more affluent crowd to the area (with the idea that more diversity will benefit everyone). The title of the documentary, Waits Waits, likely alludes to how long the project prep has dragged on (due to a lack of funding), as well as the sort of anxious anticipation that comes with wondering whether this more moneyed vision of Jordan Downs will have room for the people who have long called it their home.
WATTS WAITS - The redevelopment of Jordan Downs from Drew Bachrach on Vimeo.
· Watts Waits [Vimeo]
· Huge Jordan Downs Overhaul Loses Out on Big Chunk of Money [Curbed LA]
· Can Huge Jordan Downs Makeover Change Its Whole Character? [Curbed LA]
· LA is Going to Turn Watts's Jordan Downs Into an "Urban Village" [Curbed LA]