Down for Life (film)
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| Directed by | Alan Jacobs |
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| Cinematography | Dana Gonzales |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Down for Life is a 2010 American dramatic film directed by Alan Jacobs based on the true story of a 15-year-old Latina gang leader in Watts, Los Angeles. The story follows one day in her life as she struggles to break away from her gang. Made in cinéma vérité style, the film stars many local teens, with veteran actors such as Danny Glover, Laz Alonso, Kate del Castillo, and Snoop Dogg in supporting roles. Down for Life focuses on the gritty reality of gang life and the racial tension surrounding it. Ultimately, the film’s message is one of hope to those in tough circumstances while shedding light on a pressing social issue.
The film spans one day in the life of Anjelica Soto, aka “Rascal” (played by Los Angeles native Jessica Romero), a 15-year-old Latino gang leader in Watts, as she struggles to survive. Surrounded by escalating violence and racial tensions, Rascal realizes her days in the gang are numbered. Encouraged by her English teacher (Danny Glover) to apply for a writing program in Iowa, Rascal hopes to use the material from her life to write her way out of Watts. The forces around Rascal thrust her into a deadly cycle of violence that seems almost impossible to escape. To leave, she will have to make the dangerous decision to renounce her loyalty to the gang.
Jessica Romero, Andrea Valenzuela, Isamar Guijarro, Sheila Ochoa, and Ilene Trujillo were discovered at local area high schools. Director Alan Jacobs chose local teenagers with no acting experience to maintain the authenticity of the story. Jacobs believed that using real girls familiar with the types of issues depicted in the film would create an honesty to their performances.
Down for Life is based on the actual experiences of Lesly Castillo, born October 4, 1989, in Jalisco, Mexico. The Castillo family moved to Los Angeles from Mexico when Lesly was four years old. Her father worked nights for a demolition company. Her mother was a housewife, raising Lesly and her two younger siblings. Lesly attended Locke High School in South Central Los Angeles, where some of the movie was filmed. Having the reputation as one of the city’s lowest performing schools, Locke High School often witnessed “one of the homegirls or homeboys… get shot or killed or just simply put in jail.” In 2001, out of a class of 979, only 322 students graduated. Lesly began skipping school in 8th grade. While Lesly was in the process of repeating the 9th grade, she was required to attend summer school to make up the missing credits and was offered a mercy “D” if she would describe a day in her life.
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