Documentary filmmaker Caron Creighton’s latest work, Wood Street, will screen Saturday, Sept. 12 at 2 p.m. in the Drexel Theater as part of the Cinema Columbus lineup. Though the film was shot in West Oakland, California, its themes resonate with audiences across the country, including here in Columbus.
Local screening brings national issue to Ohio
The 100‑minute documentary opens with residents of Wood Street Commons, an unhoused encampment in Oakland, confronting state officials in a peaceful standoff. Creighton follows the community’s day‑to‑day life as they confront a looming eviction, resorting to civil disobedience only after legal avenues were exhausted.
Creighton, who began covering the encampment while reporting for The San Francisco Chronicle in 2021, says she was drawn to the story when the residents received what felt like a final eviction notice in mid‑2022. “They were taking the state to court, holding Zoom hearings under the highway overpass, and I thought, this is uniquely interesting—people really fighting back,” she recalled.
Human faces behind the protest
The film avoids sensationalist backstories, focusing instead on the personalities of residents like John Janosko, who documents the camp’s plight online, and LaMonte Ford, whose passionate advocacy often feels like an exposed nerve. In a moderated conversation, Ford and a local resident exchange raw emotions about resentment, desperation, and the broken system, ending in a tearful embrace.
“What the fuck is happening?” Creighton admitted, noting it took months to unpack the nuance of that exchange. She emphasizes that while the story is deeply Oakland‑specific, it reflects a broader American struggle with economic inequality and homelessness.
Policy backdrop and local relevance
The documentary also touches on federal policy, referencing a July 2025 executive order that framed unhoused individuals as a public‑safety threat, and draws parallels to Columbus’s own approach to encampment “abatements.” By highlighting the community’s internal bonds and their push for tiny‑home villages, the film underscores the importance of family‑like support networks among the unhoused.
Creighton deliberately limited city‑official voices, including former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, to preserve the residents’ perspective. “If I’d been chummy with the city, the Wood Street folks would lose trust in me immediately,” she said, noting that many media outlets prioritize official statements over grassroots voices.
Why Columbus audiences should watch
Beyond its artistic merit, Wood Street offers Columbus viewers a chance to reflect on how local policies affect the most vulnerable. The film’s emphasis on community, parental‑like care among encampment residents, and the moral imperative to address homelessness aligns with the values of strong families and individual liberty championed by our community.
Don’t miss this compelling portrait of civic action and survival. Tickets are available through the Cinema Columbus website.
Original reporting: Matter News (Columbus) — read the source article.
