4 Corners is a minimalist art-piece examining gun violence in Chicago. It consists of 5 vignettes, each loosely based on gang killings committed around a 4-block radius. The stories themselves are presented without context, identification, or discernible dialogue, giving each occurrence a cold and detached feeling. These violent acts are committed in calm and casual fashion, moving from one story to the next without explanation; reflecting how we as a society take in stride the killings in modern day life. Much like the violence we see and hear about every day in Chicago, this film takes us through a sequence of murders that seem and feel pointless, hollow, and cold. We watch as a one killing sets in motion a ripple effect throughout the community, while the reason for such remains uncertain.

One thing however is certain, there are no winners here, just losers.

The purpose of this film was not to pick one side or the other, but to simply present the issue at face value and address the need for change, without patronizing or trivializing the causes of said violence.

Stories of pride, ignorance and retaliation serve as the backbone of 4 Corners, just as they serve as the backbone of so many Chicago murders. Tit-for-tat killings that seem meaningless to those looking in from the outside, are exactly the opposite to the people involved; and are even more real to the loved ones who are often left to pick up the pieces. 4 Corners is not only a critique on Chicago’s gun violence, but also on the way gun violence is generally portrayed in the media.

The concept for 4 Corners came to me as I was passing by an area in Rogers Park where I once witnessed a woman peddling elotes get mistakenly shot. It was a drive-by shooting, and the bullet was intended for a group of my friends. I was only a child and remember looking at this woman crying out in agony, holding her leg while deep purple blood gushed out. I was incredibly surprised since based on the movies I’ve seen, the color of blood should have match the bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos I was eating. The elotes lady getting shot was the consequence of another shooting that happened the prior week. This vicious cycle, one that ensnares the lives of innocent people, was the main inspiration for 4 Corners.

Often when violence is depicted in films, we never see the remnants of what happens next, we simply move on to the next scene. With 4 Corners however, it was very important for us to show the byproduct of the brutality. When these things occur in real life there is no next scene; there is no next story; the people affected must piece their lives back together and continue living with the grief.  

A prominent scene in the film that highlights this is the Janitor Scene. We watch as he literally picks up the pieces left from the incident. This was my our of illustrating the long-lasting effects of gun violence that we are not typically exposed to in the media.

Highly influenced by Alan Clarke’s short film ‘Elephant’, 4 Corners is a reference to ”the elephant in the living room” because we are, as a collective, denying the social problems that exist in Chicago.