Bernaltown

A narrative neighborhood film project structured around the Powerbuilders, a foursome of pre-teen superheroes who resist an evil scheme to build a gigantic casino on top of the community’s sacred resource—Bernal Hill. Instead of fighting evil with guns the kids build fantastic crime fighting gadgets in a secret underground workshop from which they also launch their homemade soap box cars through secret tunnels into the narrow streets of Bernaltown. Reminiscent of a classic TV action adventure series.

Bernaltown was shot over the summer when kids who'd made soap box cars earlier were looking for something fun to do. We began by watching reruns of the old Batman TV show. Tommy Chin, who insisted on being involved in the project is cast as the mysterious Toolmaster.

Bernal Heights Neighborhood, SF — 1997