"Not for the faint of heart" is probably an understatement here. "Crips and Bloods: Made in America" is showing twice this weekend at the AFI Silver Theatre (8633 Colesville Road) in Silver Spring. The 2008 documentary from director Stacy Peralta ("Riding Giants," "Dogtown and Z-Boys"), narrated by Forest Whitaker, covers the 30 years of gang violence in South Los Angeles, which has taken a staggering 15,000 lives.
Combing through first-person narratives of gang members, and those who live with the violence every day, the documentary offers stomach-churning commentary on the urban warfare of the Crips and Bloods: "one of the longest running wars in this country."
But how and why were the Crips and the Bloods founded? And how can they stop? Experts, activists and former gang members talk about what really goes on behind the red and blue bandanas. Don't expect to leave the theater in a great mood. Do expect to leave with a greater understanding of what's going on in South L.A.
Sunday, March 15, 1 p.m.
Monday, March 16, 8:45 p.m.
