I spoke with John Janosko and LaMonté Ford, two of the main participants of the Wood Street documentary. This was the first time we sat down together since the film had its world premiere at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana in February. John and LaMonté joined me in Montana, where we screened the film publicly for the first time. We also showed the film to some of Missoula’s unhoused community at the Watershed (a daytime drop-in shelter), and held a community town hall discussing homelessness solutions at the local library. I wanted to speak with them about what the filmmaking process felt like for them, and how they feel now that the film is making its way out into the world.
Caron Creighton (CC): I spent…I think it was like 10 months filming [with] you guys, and, you know, it’s not like the full Wood Street story, but how does it feel to have this portion of the story represented on a big screen?
Lamonté Ford (LF): It’s really refreshing that we’re able to reach a larger audience than just Oakland. To convey to the people that, not only are things working in order to slow down homelessness, but we’re working to try to eradicate it. And that people are people, whether they’re homeless or not. They’re still individuals, and everyone has a life to live. That’s one of the takeaways that I have from the film, and really appreciate being able to show that.
John Janosko (JJ): I’m glad the film was made. I’m glad that there was an opportunity to actually follow us around and document this piece of our lives. I think it’s very important that people get an inside view of how [encampment] evictions are, so people that don’t really know about them understand what happens, what people go through. [The film] wasn’t just the day of the [final] eviction, it wasn’t just a week. It’s not just a tractor out there demolishing somebody’s home and clearing trash. It actually shows the process of organizing, of our resistance, and what people do when they’re facing an eviction.
I don’t think a lot of people understand the anxiety that builds up when [unhoused people are threatened with eviction]. So it was nice seeing pieces of our lives before we even knew exactly what was coming. We’re just trying to get ready, but then it leads up to, like—boom—the notice is finally up, we only have a certain amount of time. But we still stuck together. We still had our Christmas party, we were still active as a community, and I appreciate that this story is out there. It shows something other than what the local news shows people [about encampment sweeps].
CC: I appreciate that. That was definitely one of my goals. You know, we haven’t really had a chance to recap since [the film’s premiere in] Missoula, so I’m curious, how was it for you guys to show this film to a crowd of strangers in Montana? I saw you both talking to people after the screening. What were people’s reactions? How did it feel to share some of those things with this new crowd of people?
LF: I thought it was cool. You know, we really displayed our vulnerabilities by watching ourselves [on screen], and in front of people watching us. But the responses that I got were mixed. Some were like, “I had no idea it was like that, that life exists in those types of environments.” And on the other hand it was like, “Oh, yeah, I can relate to what you guys have been through. I’ve been through similar things as well.”
JJ: I mean, people are really receiving [the film] well. I think they’re just really amazed by the [Wood Street] community, by the community that was there—and you really did capture that community in a way I think people can relate to. And that’s what I’ve been hearing, that people are leaving with a sense of community. Or that they don’t have that in their community.
Some people said they could really feel the pain of what we were going through…so a lot of people were like, “Wow, I couldn’t imagine going through something like that, but you guys really prevailed.” Especially in conversation when we tell them where we’re at now, with being housed and what we’re doing with our nonprofit. You can really tell it’s like, “Wow,” for them. You can see it in their eyes. It’s like, “I wonder how the rest of the world could recreate the magic that you guys had.”
CC: Yeah, and I wonder how we can help people try to do that. Like, even when we were having the conversation at the library [after the premiere], and I think they asked you guys for advice and it’s so hard because Missoula is so different [from] Oakland, it’s tough. And I think the challenge for us is to figure out how to turn that into something tangible for people to take away. That’s kind of something I’ve been thinking about. I mean, Monte, you went out for outreach with [Missoula’s] Poverello Center. Did you notice anything similar [or] different, from your outreach with them versus Oakland?
‘I’m proud that we came from the dirt. Like, literally.’
LF: The similarity was still there. They got swept. They still have to face evictions. They still have the same perils that we had. It’s kind of thinned out out there, like there’s no concentration of people in their encampments. They’re kind of like, spread out. So the outreach was tailored specifically to the person.
CC: When we were on stage at Big Sky [after the screening] and they were hosting the Q&A, [they asked] something like, “Did it feel invasive having a camera follow you around?” And you guys were like, “Yeah, it was kind of invasive.” And I was like, “Oh shit. Oh no!” Like I was having a moment. But also, John, you and I would talk [when I was filming] and you were always kind of like, “I want the gritty. I want you to show the gritty stuff.” So I guess I’m curious from your perspective, [because] there were also other cameras around [and] a lot of media presence. What did that process feel like for you guys in general?
LF: I was joking when I said [filming] was invasive. I kind of completely forgot that you were there, in a lot of cases. I just got used to [you] being there, and after a while I knew that it would be for some good, you know, that it would be for some change.
JJ: “I was like, damn bitch, another mic? Like, what the fuck?” [laughs]. No, I’m just playing, it wasn’t that bad, honestly. After a while it just became sort of normal. Like, you come up with your equipment, you’re like, “John, I gotta mic you.” You’ll mic me and stuff. And, you know, I’ll just start running around doing whatever I was doing.
I knew [there] was a bigger reason for it to be done, you know? I did want you to see the gritty stuff. I wanted people to see inside our world. I needed people to see what we went through, I really did. So we could change people’s minds. You did a great job though, showing the gritty part. That’s the narrative balance I was thinking about…[People] know that we’re out here getting high, probably. But, like, let’s show them that we get high, but are also very productive. Like, we’re doing something positive. We’re using our high to do something.
CC: You guys both show some pretty vulnerable moments on camera. Like for John, I filmed with you the day after you’d gotten out of the hospital. That was the day before the eviction. And I think when people see that scene, they’re just kind of like, “Wow, it’s so…” I don’t even know the word…
JJ: Intense.
CC: Yeah, intense. I was going to say, like, clearly you’re going through something. How does it feel to share that moment on screen in a big theater with people?
JJ: I didn’t really think too much of it, just because [the film doesn’t explain] what I was going through or anything like that. [Viewers] just see that I got out the hospital. But it didn’t bother me at all, really. I’ll be honest—the most intense thing in there was me and Monté and our altercation. That one hits me a little bit harder.
CC: Last question is like, moving forward, y’all have started a nonprofit. You’re kind of doing all the shit you were talking about doing at Wood Street, and that you were already doing, just in a more formalized way. It seems like you’ve done pretty well at maintaining community. How has it changed your relationships with each other and with the broader community?
LF: Well, it definitely has increased our connection to the streets. We go out every Sunday. We’re able to have our boots on the ground, find out what people’s needs are, and reach some of those needs. It’s really refreshing to be able to stand up for those that can’t stand up, and empower them to stand up on their own.
JJ: It feels good. I mean, one of the pieces that I like—that I love about this—is that, you know…I like the “get-backs” a little bit, you know? And so the get-back for me, for all those people that doubted us, they see us now. I love that we didn’t go away, and not only did we not go away: we expanded. We’re everywhere now.
I think a lot of people thought we were just going to be this phase—that the eviction was going to grind us down. But it didn’t grind us down. Wood Street is what happens when you support a community, and I’m proud that we came from the dirt. Like, literally, we was in the dirt, [and we’re] here now. Nobody can take away from what we’ve done, because we lived all the experiences it takes to come to this point in life.
Caron Creighton is a journalist and filmmaker based in Oakland where she reports mostly on homelessness and displacement. She has previously worked for the San Francisco Chronicle, AJ+, and the Associated Press.