The Savages

A 16mm film about ghetto youth in 1967

Dubbed “Ghost Town” in 1967, the area of West Venice was then an impoverished African American community. Los Angeles native and UCLA film student, Alan Gorg set out to capture the lives of its inhabitants in their own words. Without adding his own commentary, he allowed the subjects to express themselves, from the hardworking man with his young family, to the jobless youth who seek temporary release from their circumstances through drink and parties. Gorg aimed to give representation to African Americans, who due to housing and employment segregation, were rarely seen by white Los Angeles. The short begins with the voice-over of a white man discussing the savagery of African Americans. But we find it is not the people that are savage, but the harsh urban conditions. Opportunities are denied through systemic injustice and inequalities