Dogtown Redemption

"...the street's gonna pay me."

As with the poor living in the slums of India and Brazil, a surprising number of Americans survive on the margins of a vast river of trash that is a source of hope and redemption. They are America's untouchables. Set in Oakland, California, American Untouchables is the story of this river, and its inhabitants. Jason, the Olympic titan of recycling, Landon, a former minister, and Miss Kay,formerly a punk rocker, introduce us to the art, science, economics and politics of recycling: what it offers, how it touches and why it matters to the poor. Their struggles with addiction, mental illness, homelessness provides a a glimpse into the dynamics of economic inequality, racial discrimination and political disenfranchisement in Oakland and beyond.