1st and Indian School

A short lyrical film about homelessness in Albuquerque. Under I40 is a large, growing homeless encampment. Just a few blocks down the road are several bars where $7 drafts are served to Tesla owners. This film aims to document the feeling of being there next to so much despair while living in the richest country in the world.

  • Mike Robert Chavez
    Director
  • Mike Robert Chavez
    Writer
  • Mike Robert Chavez
    Producer
  • Mike Robert Chavez
    Music/Sound Design
  • Project Type:
    Student, Other
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 3 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 22, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - UNM
Director Biography - Mike Robert Chavez

A noise musician turned amateur filmmaker and photographer. My work focuses on meditating on specific emotional states. As someone who grew up extremely physically and emotionally isolated from others raised solely on packaged media, my work is fascinated with human emotional reactions and how the media we consume influences and poisons our internal identities.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Homelessness is and has always been a crisis all over the country. In my city, Albuquerque, there is a large and growing homeless encampment under I-40. Dozens of people live there in deplorable conditions. The stench of despair is so thick on the air it almost overpowers the smell of rotting garbage. But just a couple of blocks away, luxury cars pepper the parking lots of craft breweries. This level of inequality shocked me and drove me to complete this project, a mediation on how homelessness damages not only the people it affects, but hurts our collective soul as Americans. I hope that this film triggers talks about homelessness like it did for my class.