Angeleno

Los Angeles is at once a sun-drenched paradise and a city of shadows. Charles is the champion of all things Los Angeles and mid-century pop culture. He collects Kodachrome slides of everyday life and gives humorous slide show presentations of Americana. Rick is a professional set photographer whose career was launched when his photos of LA gang life captured the attention of Sean Penn. He rescued the LAPD's historical crime scene photo archive, which offers a fascinating glimpse into everyday life and the darker side of Los Angeles going back 100 years.

Explore art in Los Angeles through the stories of two artists at different stages of their careers. 28 year-old Levi is the son of Salvadoran immigrants and best known for creating the "Mural Mile," a revitalized strip of Van Nuys Blvd. once covered in graffiti and defaced storefronts. His murals become community art projects. Peter is a 68 year-old award-winning artist who was born in Echo Park – where he still lives and works, creating world-renowned sculpture, furniture and ceramics. He worked on the Design Team for the XXIII Olympiad in L.A., and his public sculptures dot the city's landscape.

Two women show how pocket communities serve as safe havens of recovery and self-awareness. Sonsheeray struggled with bipolar disorder all of her life, and found support at a center that helps at-risk youth coping with mental illness. Now a nurse, she is on the board of the organization that helped her, and mentors other young people. Kimberly is a former triathlete and model who turned to yoga during her recovery from stage IV cancer. She owns a chain of fitness centers dedicated to yoga and spinning, and works to inspire other women.