Nothing to See Here: Watts

"Nothing to See Here: Watts" centers on a bold act of radical self-representation that brings together adversaries and saves lives. The independent documentary feature is directed by Michael Soenen.

What occurs when an outsider accompanies police officers through Watts, a 2.1 square mile neighborhood in South Los Angeles, historically known as one of the nation's most violent and divided areas? That night, he observed shootings, murders, and heartbreak. He returned home, just five miles away, expecting to see the story on the news. There was nothing. No coverage. No mention.

Startled by the silence and seeking answers, he asked over 200 people to document their lives using only the iPhones he provided; 20 agreed. Among them were rival gang members, police officers, community activists, victims, and survivors. Over the next three years, they revealed their world to the camera, sharing their community as never before, and in doing so, something remarkable happened.

"Nothing to See Here: Watts" turns the conventional storytelling model on its head in a groundbreaking documentary created “by” the community – not “about” the community – challenging viewers’ preconceived ideas of this marginalized, misrepresented, and misunderstood area.

Produced by students, rival gang members, police officers, victims of violent crime, and community activists, with input from over 300 community members, this documentary offers an intensely raw, authentic, and uniquely narrated experience as former adversaries become filmmakers, navigating mistrust, moral judgments, and the complex realities of their community. The film invites audiences to reevaluate their perceptions of Watts—and similar communities—reshaping the narrative on who is entitled to tell their stories and how, demonstrating that extraordinary results can be achieved when the most marginalized and overlooked are empowered.

With an original score honoring over 50 years of Watts’ rich musical heritage, featuring a choir of children from Watts’ four major housing developments, the message to viewers is clear: if those with the least education, resources, and the most reasons for animosity can find a way forward, so can we.