Documentary about Kensington section of Philadelphia aims to put human faces on drug crisis
A filmmaker is making it his mission to bring awareness to those struggling with addiction in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood. He took his cameras to the middle of the open-air drug market.
"I don't know what can top the desperate situations in Kensington, it's harrowing," director Charlie Minn from Double Wave Productions said.
Minn and his crew spent four days in the neighborhood and filmed his documentary called "Kensington" around the clock. He said it's a dire and desperate situation there.
"I didn't think it was as bad as I was until I got there and saw it for myself," he said.
Minn tried to humanize the crisis and approached people with addiction for interviews. He said there was no script for situations he found himself in.
"I think these people had nothing to lose, and maybe they were hoping someone would see the movie and some people would help them," Minn said.
He said he tried to get to know each person and learn more about how they ended up on Kensington Avenue.
"A lot of the people I interviewed don't want to be there but they don't have a choice. They have to be there because they are so dependent upon drugs. Whether it's fentanyl, tranq, meth, heroin and cocaine," he said.
"Some of them are bad people and deserve to be in jail, but a lot of these people, if you get to know their stories, you may walk away very inspired and motivated," he said.
Minn visited Kensington this past winter, a few months before the Parker administration worked to clear homeless encampments and clean up the area.
Minn went back briefly after that and said something bigger needs to be done to address the open-air drug market that still exists and to provide mental health help, although he said he understands it's going to take time.
"This might be a situation that no one can fix. It's that bad," he said.
Minn said he is blown away by the survival of those living in the streets there.
"A lot of these survivors in Kensington have guts. They have excessive guts more than you will ever know. Can you imagine not knowing where you will sleep at night?" Minn said.
He hopes those who watch the film leave with emotion and a big moral question.
"Do you put them in jail or do you put them in a facility?" he said.
Minn hopes this saves lives, educates, and brings awareness.
"Kensington" will start screening on Oct. 11 at Oaks Center Cinema in Phoenixville for a minimum one-week run.