a mini-documentary commissioned as part of splitpillow’s decade-long “chicago 360” project, which hopes to chronicle early 21st century life and culture in the windy city.

this documentary focuses on charlie lawrence jr and his trade: selling peanuts on the intersection of harrison and sacramento, off the highway in the south side of the city.

directed by alan del rio ortiz and aaron brown

produced by ben poster

edited by alan del rio ortiz

music by zach goheen

made possible by splitpillow

“... aaron brown and alan ortiz’s is especially strong: handheld footage of a peanut vendor working auto traffic in winter captures the precariousness of street life, while the intercut remarks of a businessman explaining the economics of the trade give an expanded perspective worthy of dziga vertov “ 

-- fred camper, chicago reader