About

Our Community

We are committed to building an experienced and diverse creative team that centers and uplifts the voices of those directly involved in early and present-day activism in Adams Morgan. All of the members of our team either live in the neighborhood or are connected to the neighborhood and organizing work here.

Kristin is a DC-based filmmaker and attorney who produces justice-focused documentaries, highlighting community leaders and organizations and amplifying the voices of communities impacted by oppressive systems. She founded Unchained Stories, a social impact production company, and collaborates with other artists and activists in Adams Morgan to address housing and economic justice. Her work has been featured globally and she has partnered with many non-profits and institutions to produce impactful short films and videos.
KRISTIN ADAIR
director, lead artist
Vikram is an Adams Morgan-based community organizer and a licensed counselor currently working as a community-oriented psychotherapist. He focuses on healing at the intersection of economic violence, historical and intercultural trauma, and recovery from addiction and chronic mental illness. He has deep experience with building trust, respecting autonomy, and re-authoring narratives toward empowerment, as well as organizing skills of maintaining relationships, managing communication systems, facilitating group meetings, and public advocacy.
VIKRAM SURYA CHIRUVOLU
producer ​​
Marie was a co-founder and the first Executive Director of the Adams Morgan Organization (AMO) in 1972. Through her work with AMO, she helped shape local and national policy on housing ownership and cooperatives, tenants’ rights, the Community Reinvestment Act,public space, and the Federal Communications Commission’s media cross-ownership rules. Later, Marie was among the first elected commissioners for ANC-1C (Adams Morgan). She served at HUD under President Obama and currently hosts The Usable Past podcast, where activists share their stories of past organizing that informs present organizing.
MARIE NAHIKIAN
co-producer​
Dawne Langford is an independent documentary producer and independent curator. Her passion is for sharing stories that highlight the transformative power of the arts. Langford has worked in various capacities in the social justice movement, a member of DIY artist collectives, teaching and working in public media.
DAWNE LANGFORD
consulting producer ​
Ellie Walton
ELLIE WALTON
cinematographer, consulting producer
David Thurston is a Black DC native and a graduate of DC Public Schools. He grew up in All Souls Church on the perimeter of Adams Morgan. David has years of experience as a community organizer and currently serves as a psychotherapist. David studied US History at Columbia University, the City College of New York, and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He received a masters in Social Work from Catholic University.
DAVID THURSTON,
poet, consulting producer

Credits

A FILM BY
Kristin Adair

 

PRODUCER
Vikram Surya Chiruvolu

 

CO-PRODUCER
Marie Nahikian

 

CONSULTING PRODUCERS
Dawne Langford
David Thurston
Ellie Walton

 

EDITING

Kristin Adair

Magee McIlvaine

Ellie Walton


CINEMATOGRAPHY
Kristin Adair
Ellie Walton

 

AUDIO
Jim Choi

 

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Jason Mukendi


PROJECTION
James Schneider


INTERN
Christian Lara

FEATURING
Johnny Barnes
Vikram Surya Chiruvolu
Elona Evans-McNeill
John Jones
John Jackson
Marie Nahikian
Walter Pierce
Frank Smith
Chris Summers
Jim Vitarello

 

ADDITIONAL STORYTELLERS
Nathan Terry Johnson
Steve Klein
Dorothy McGhee
Patrick Merloe
Bill Minor
Michael Tabor

 

ALSO FEATURING
Luci Murphy

 

ARCHIVAL MATERIALS
DC Public Library, The People’s Archive
Anacostia Community Museum
Eddie Becker
Paul Bishow
Christopher Chen
Cynthia Jackson
Cesar Maxit
GW Special Collections
Nancy Shia
Michael Tabor

SPECIAL THANKS
Mary Belcher
Monica Johan Bose
Agnieszka Bulacik
Michele Casto
Cindy Centeno
Katie Davis
Onka Dekker
Oscar Fernandez
Kate Fitzpatrick
Amanda Huron
The Jackson Family
Luzette Jaimes
Kerry Kennedy
Niani Kilkenny
Timothy Kumfer
Fernando Lemos
Lacy MacAuley
Samir Meghelli
Will Merrifield
Carol Miller
Adam Molyneux-Berry
Jennifer Morris
Parisa Norouzi
BB Otero
Dylan Petrohilos
Cynthia Pols
Bonnie Rowan
Esther Siegel
Ryan Shepard
Jay Waxse
Paul Zukerberg
Adams Morgan Community Center
All Souls Church Unitarian
Potter’s House

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© 2023

DC arts commission logo

This project was supported by
the DC Commission on
the Arts and Humanities