- After her little brother is killed, a 15-year-old deaf girl turns to a gang, a neighborhood church, and pregnancy for a sense of belonging and purpose. Ultimately, she is challenged instead to discover strength and hope within herself. Although Zola cannot actually speak, she narrates the otherwise silent film.—Anonymous
- After her little brother is killed, a 15-year-old deaf girl turns to a gang, a neighborhood church, and pregnancy for a sense of belonging and purpose. Ultimately, she is challenged instead to discover strength and hope within herself. Although Zola cannot actually speak, she narrates the otherwise silent film.
The main action takes place at the African American Zola's all night initiation into a small faith community of mostly Latinos and African Americans, beginning with their dancing around a trashcan fire on a rundown street corner. Zola is hesitant to join the group at the fire and, later, to get into the initiation pool.
Alternating with initiation scenes are flashbacks, including the memorial for Zolas little brother Crazy Legs, who was shot on this same corner while selling drugs, her simultaneous involvement with an all girls street gang and the faith community, and her rape and pregnancy.
Gang leaders and Zolas doubts interfere with her initiation, but she gains confidence as her body is anointed with oil. Alternating with the oil scenes are flashforwards, when more gang deaths and lack of money result in the faith community pulling out of the neighborhood. By this time, Zola is also estranged from her gang.
Eventually, she and her friends start a bakery in the now empty corner storefront, where she is killed. Back at the initiation, Zola shares in the ritual bread and wine.
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