On May 24th, neighbors gathered in Mar Vista for an outdoor screening of Swept, a powerful short documentary commissioned by Human Rights Watch. Released to accompany their August 2024 report, “You Have to Move! The Cruel and Ineffective Criminalization of Unhoused People in Los Angeles,” the film brings visibility to a citywide crisis.

Directed by Adam Silver and a News & Documentary Emmy nominee, Swept draws from first-person stories collected by HRW researchers, who interviewed over 100 unhoused or formerly unhoused individuals to reveal how LA’s policies prioritize displacement over meaningful support. The companion report offers a sobering portrait: data from LAPD, sanitation, LAHSA, and the Mayor’s office document how sweeps systematically push people from public view. These measures do little to address the root causes of homelessness, such as lack of affordable housing and structural racism, while contributing to skyrocketing death rates among the unhoused.

After the film, Adam Silver discussed how immersive storytelling reshaped his view of people experiencing homelessness, and Ground Game organizer Sonja Verdugo offered an inspiring personal account of survival and mutual aid. Kris Rehl with LA Street Care spoke about community-led resistance and policy advocacy, and Peggy Lee Kennedy with the Venice Justice Committee highlighted the criminalization of vehicle dwelling. City Attorney candidate Marissa Roy also discussed how prosecutorial discretion can either reinforce or dismantle criminalization. Interested in connecting with with mutual aid groups doing sweeps defense work in your neighborhood? Contact us to let us know!