Altadena: The Forgotten One's (Film Project)
by Michael Letterlough, Jr.
Project Overview
The Altadena Fires short documentary is a photo-driven, interview-based exploration of one of Los Angeles County’s most overlooked disasters. Through intimate portraits and first-person accounts, this film captures the voices of Black and brown residents who survived the Eaton Canyon Fires in Altadena, CA—many of whom believe the destruction was not only preventable, but intentional.
Creative Approach
This project blends still photography, stylized motion effects, and residents’ own words to build a cinematic timeline of the night the fires spread. Instead of traditional narration, the survivors’ voices guide the audience, supported by striking visuals—photos burning into new frames, on-screen pull quotes, and carefully designed soundscapes. The style is part fine art, part investigative journalism, ensuring both emotional resonance and editorial depth.
(This video snippet is a "rough draft" of an incomplete film project. Please do not share this with ANYONE outside of yourself without permission!)
Themes
- Neglect & Displacement: Echoing patterns seen in Flint, Hurricane Katrina, and other disasters disproportionately impacting Black communities.
- Resilience & Memory: Survivors preserving their stories against erasure.
- Accountability & Justice: Questioning systemic failures and raising awareness of inequities in disaster response.
Why This Story Matters
Mainstream coverage overlooked Altadena’s Black community during and after the fires. This documentary gives survivors control of the narrative, creating a historical record and cultural testimony that demands to be seen. It’s not just a local story—it reflects a recurring national pattern.
Goals
- Submit to film festivals and award circuits.
- Release publicly via YouTube and potentially other streaming platforms.
- Drive conversation in news outlets and social media, amplifying survivor voices.
- Establish the film as both an artistic statement and a piece of investigative journalism.