Bastards of the Party
Encyclopedia
Bastards of the Party is a 2006 documentary film
produced by Alex Demyanenko and directed by former Bloods
gang-member Cle Sloan
. The film explores the creation of two of Los Angeles
’s most notorious gangs, the Crips
and the Bloods, from the perspective of the Los Angeles community. The film also denounces gang violence and presents meaningful solutions from former gang-members to stop this problem.
The documentary appeared at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival
and at the 2006 Hollywood Black Film Festival
. The television
premiere aired on February 6, 2007 on HBO. Over 90 percent of the documentary was shot in 1996.
During a term in jail, Cle Sloan picked up a book titled, City of Quartz
by Mike Davis
. While reading the book, Sloan found his neighborhood of Athens Park
on a map depicting LAPD
gang hot spots of 1972. The account in Davis' book fueled Sloan to ask questions of how the gangs got started, only to receive speculation and more questions from his fellow gang-members. Sloan decided to research the subject himself.
The title of the movie, Bastards of the Party comes from a passage in City of Quartz that reads: "As even The [Los Angeles] Times recognized, the decimation of the Panthers led directly to a recrudescence of gangs in the early 1970s. ‘Crippin,’ the most extraordinary new gang phenomenon was a bastard offspring of the Panthers’ former charisma, filling the void left by the LAPD SWAT teams."
In the 1970s the movement
and the people began to change. There was a larger push towards individuality and freedom and less of a push towards self sacrifice. This attitude is illustrated in the movie Superfly
, where the main character is out for himself. In this atmosphere, Raymond Washington
created the concept of a gang of the new generation of youth that went from "the cradle to the grave" and was joined by Stanley "Tookie" Williams and Jamel Barnes in the formation of the Crips. Tupac Shakur
's song, "So Many Tears", is played at the end portion of the documentary.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
produced by Alex Demyanenko and directed by former Bloods
Bloods
The Bloods are a street gang founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. They are identified by the red color worn by their members and by particular gang symbols, including distinctive hand signs...
gang-member Cle Sloan
Cle Shaheed Sloan
Cle Shaheed Sloan , aka "Bone", is an American filmmaker and activist from Los Angeles, California, USA. While still a member of Athens Park Bloods, a Los Angeles street gang, Sloan worked to reform gang culture to put an end to gang violence from the inside.Sloan was introduced to the film...
. The film explores the creation of two of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
’s most notorious gangs, the Crips
Crips
The Crips are a primarily, but not exclusively, African American gang. They were founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969 mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams...
and the Bloods, from the perspective of the Los Angeles community. The film also denounces gang violence and presents meaningful solutions from former gang-members to stop this problem.
The documentary appeared at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
and at the 2006 Hollywood Black Film Festival
Hollywood Black Film Festival
The Hollywood Black Film Festival, dubbed the "Black Sundance," is an annual six-day film festival held in Los Angeles, California dedicated to enhancing the careers of new and established black filmmaking professionals by bringing their work to the attention of the film industry, press and public....
. The television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
premiere aired on February 6, 2007 on HBO. Over 90 percent of the documentary was shot in 1996.
During a term in jail, Cle Sloan picked up a book titled, City of Quartz
City of Quartz
City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles is a 1990 book by Mike Davis examining problems facing Los Angeles. The underlying material was originally intended as a Ph.D. submission in completion of the requirements for his history doctorate, but it was rejected...
by Mike Davis
Mike Davis (scholar)
Mike Davis is an American Marxist social commentator, urban theorist, historian, and political activist. He is best known for his investigations of power and social class in his native Southern California.-Life:...
. While reading the book, Sloan found his neighborhood of Athens Park
Athens, California
Athens is an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, California. It lies at an elevation of 171 feet . Athens is located in the South Los Angeles region, near the intersection of the Century and the Harbor freeways...
on a map depicting LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
gang hot spots of 1972. The account in Davis' book fueled Sloan to ask questions of how the gangs got started, only to receive speculation and more questions from his fellow gang-members. Sloan decided to research the subject himself.
The title of the movie, Bastards of the Party comes from a passage in City of Quartz that reads: "As even The [Los Angeles] Times recognized, the decimation of the Panthers led directly to a recrudescence of gangs in the early 1970s. ‘Crippin,’ the most extraordinary new gang phenomenon was a bastard offspring of the Panthers’ former charisma, filling the void left by the LAPD SWAT teams."
Content
Bastards of the Party begins to explore the history of African-American gangs in Los Angeles all the way back to the black migration from the south in order to escapeIn the 1970s the movement
African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)
The African-American Civil Rights Movement refers to the movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring voting rights to them. This article covers the phase of the movement between 1955 and 1968, particularly in the South...
and the people began to change. There was a larger push towards individuality and freedom and less of a push towards self sacrifice. This attitude is illustrated in the movie Superfly
Superfly (film)
Super Fly is a 1972 film directed by Gordon Parks, Jr., starring Ron O'Neal as Youngblood Priest, a black cocaine dealer who is trying to quit the underworld drug business....
, where the main character is out for himself. In this atmosphere, Raymond Washington
Raymond Washington
Raymond Lee Washington was the original founder of the South Central Los Angeles street gang the Crips....
created the concept of a gang of the new generation of youth that went from "the cradle to the grave" and was joined by Stanley "Tookie" Williams and Jamel Barnes in the formation of the Crips. Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
's song, "So Many Tears", is played at the end portion of the documentary.