Chi Raq by Will Robson-Scott

Hats off to English filmmaker Will Robson-Scott as he transports viewers to the conflicted heart of America – Chicago, Illinois – for an exposé on the roots of crime and murder that have so long afflicted the city. As pointed out in the opening screen, Chicago has seen more murders since 2001 than the war zone in Afghanistan, earning it the nickname ‘Chi Raq.’ While the statistics are staggering themselves, the combination of institutional neglect, blasé attitudes toward murder, and lack of internal leadership make certain parts of Chicago more terrifying than when examined on paper. As a loose cultural compliment to Daniel Shea’s “Chicago Fire” photo essay from last year, Robson-Scott ventured into the heart of South Side Chicago to paint a white-knuckle portrait of the faces living in our own domestic war zone. The art speaks for itself, so sit down and take in this exemplary piece of new journalism above.