Martin Bell on STREETWISE and TINY - Criterion Channel Interview

This interview with director Martin Bell was recorded in 2020.
Watch the Academy Award-nominated documentary landmark STREETWISE and the long awaited follow-up documentary TINY: THE LIFE OF ERIN BLACKWELL now on the Criterion Channel: criterionchannel.com/streetwise-and-tiny-the-life-of-erin-blackwell

[@Moonpome]

I managed a video store for years and had access to tens of thousands of movies. I amassed a personal collection over the years which transitioned from medium to medium. The only VHS tape that I’ve kept since the 80’s is Streetwise. It’s an outstanding film and I’m so happy to learn that it’s been remastered. Hopefully a new wider audience will seek out Mary Ellen Mark’s work and see its brilliant intensity.

[@jeffbryan4019]

I dearly miss the great Mary Ellen Mark .Such a kind and caring lady with an incredible eye in capturing her subjects on film. I have felt a void since 1985 when the world lost Lou Ellen Couch that continues to this day .Lou Lou had a very big heart despite her tough persona in Seattle streets . Mary Ellen and Martin Bell were immediately drawn to her larger than life personality and also her incredible sense of justice in defending the more vulnerable street youth around her . Mary Ellen Mark and Lou Lou Couch will always be etched fondly in my memory .

[@claudezach]

Both Streetwise and Tiny need a proper DVD release.

[@YouTubeSpareTime]

I can confirm that both are coming to Blu-ray in the next month or so. I’m not sure if it’s through Criterion though

[@claudezach]

@@KZbinSpareTime Yes, it is through Criterion.

[@YouTubeSpareTime]

@@claudezach Great. I’m very much looking forward to its release and I’m sure there will be plenty of extras.

[@MC32595]

do you know if the DVD’s been released yet? I’d really love to watch

[@datafoxy]

@@MC32595 Yes it has been released.

[@ddivincenzo1194]

I first found "Streetwise" in a local video store in '86. While all the kids touched me, I was most affected by Duane and Lou Ellen. I was saddened to hear of their deaths along with that of Roberta Hayes.

[@plaster.art.ho3]

jesus! Loulou was stabbed by a group of men defending herself & her gf, tragically at only 22! :(

[@RoboticTechnician]

I watched both films yesterday, thanks to the channel. A wonderful, sad, powerful duo. Streetwise is a masterpiece.

[@sophiemuradov5042]

@RoboticTechnician where did you watch the second film? Revisiting tiny I can’t find it anywhere

[@daisygomes]

@@sophiemuradov5042 yeah me too

[@dishpitofhell2123]

where is the second film

[@ns2110theonly]

@@dishpitofhell2123 criterion channel & now out on physical Blu/DVD.

[@ns2110theonly]

I bought Streetwise on Ioffer years ago for $200 & still happy I did. But thankfully I rushed out to buy the Criterion set yesterday. Stayed home today & did nothing but watch. Thank you so much, Martin, Ms. McCall, and mostly Mary Ellen in heaven whose baby this was. What a devastating work of art. Tomorrow I’ll watch Rat. What a smart, charismatic young man. I just knew he’d survive and thrive. Rat/Richard: much respect (and a natural born diver. Almost Olympic-level landing). DeWayne: I must’ve seen this film 10 times and I still have dreams about DeWayne. No spoilers. Erin if you see this, I’m so happy you’re out there fighting the good fight. Keep the kids in line. All your kids are blessings but make sure those younger ones stay on the straight and narrow. They seem to be exceptionally bright, happy & beautiful. Try to shelter the little ones from too much information!! Do NOT let those little girls ever leave school til they graduate college. Education is power. PLEASE. Money doesn’t buy happiness but education does. Because THAT’S the thing that will give them ALL the tools to make sure their lives are happy & safe. Thank you, Mr. Bell. Thank you CRITERION for making this happen. I’ve been begging on the the Criterion forums for years.

[@neelysipes7793]

Right on Willy Nelson!!love that man,I live here in Tacoma I remember watching this as a kid..wow...my grampa took me to see baby gramps singing once great memories ♡

[@mariec3527]

Right !! He's awesome he made this masterpiece happen

[@nicelydone9776]

He liked singing his songs, but was not much for chit-chat.

[@gaylechristensen6285]

I was waitressing one night at Denny's, in Kenmore, Washington, and Willie Nelson came in. He liked my blue eyes, and he wound up singing " Blue Eyes" for me as a tip. Best tip I've ever gotten.

[@DaveVargas90012]

Never heard of this film until now in 2024 here on YT. Rat reminds me of myself when I was 13 back in the mid 80s. This documentary really hits home you see because I grew up on Hollywood Blvd.

[@BushyHairedStranger]

Still very hard for me to watch Streetwise. I grew up in Ballard, Whittier Heights in the late 80’s and remember seeing Streetwise in 84/85. Baby Gramps was still playing on Pike & 1st, there were still some of the girls from the film down there as well. Long ago

[@nicelydone9776]

I remember seeing Shelly and one of the other girls she used to hang out with (the other girl was a thin blonde, no speaking parts in streetwise.) They were walking up 1st Ave with balloons, Shelly was wearing a one piece swim suit, and the other girl was wearing a bikini.

[@festeringfingerprintvicodin]

Thank you guys so much for putting this on the channel, I’ve been looking for a quality way to watch it for YEARS!!

[@KatiePiszczak]

So touched by their work. For who she was and the sociological, caring approach this film had, but with as much respect as you could then. This could NEVER be done now. The openness the vulnerability that she gained with the people she always worked with! That was IT. It will always be brilliant. And it is so beautiful and shows a lot of familial roles that are painful and intimate... but healing for other children and moreso adults looking back. With respect. Mary Ellen for ever 🎥 📷🕉💕😊 

[@williamwilson7631]

Hope Criterion will put these out on discs along with the follow up interviews with all the kids that Martin tracked down.

[@OriginalContent89]

Who all was he able to track down? Are all the interviews on YT?

[@jayizzard6868]

coming out later this year

[@ns2110theonly]

@@OriginalContent89 Rat is the only other Streetwise kid (other than Erin of course) with a new interview in the present day. The Rat piece was done for the Criterion Blu-Ray that just came out.

[@HuskyProductions585]

Need this bluray soon!!

[@GreigStott]

Enjoyed this, thanks for sharing

[@manuelvillacana9284]

I'm surprised they never did a documentary on the life of the blonde girl who end up getting murdered by the Green River Killer I think she was his 40th something victim, but I forgot her name but she was on the movie StreetWise

[@mariec3527]

Yea she was shown in the beginning of the film near the phone booth

[@MC32595]

yea very weird and sad…

[@thegelf]

Roberta Hayes. Tiny talks about her in the follow up in the early 90s, saying that an undercover cop told her Roberta died of AIDS.

[@ilovejendog]

monumental film. i'm a 'former' runaway in NYC...for 3 years.

[@ilovejendog]

@Pauo Bunyon thank you, Fam. much Love!

[@sigurdfenrisson2446]

When they first came around for the magazine piece I was convinced it was a scam by our probation officers and cops and told everyone they were idiots for getting involved. When they came back to do the film I had gotten arrested for running from the police in a stolen car. I was 12 and had no idea how to even drive the damn thing. We wiped out so bad, one of my friends lost the tip of his pinky finger, and the other bit a hole through his lower lip so bad we could see his teeth through it. That was the first of many felony charges I’d rack up over the next 20 years. And then Mary Ellen became my mentor when I was in a photography school after of gotten my shit together. I think ad still in contact with several of the kids from the film, and helped them get in touch for the follow up. The black dude I was still talking to almost every day. I was managing a shithole apartment building on one of the worst streets in Seattle, full of drug dealers and parole type housing. The cops finally murdered him in their second attempt shortly before I moved away.

[@ZoranMaslic]

Long live Willie Nelson! Amazing gesture from amazing artist!

[@radixreuel7631]

Marry Ellen Marks/ Martin BellSTREETWISE remains the genesis of homeless docs & arguably the most embraced & enduring. It remains as haunting omen as homelessness in America today continues to sky rocket. “The pandemic has created a new wave of homelessness and we are not prepared for the consequences of this looming tsunami.” -Asa Don Brown

[@MonkeyspankO]

Are there any plans to release these as a collection? Very emotional material, especially since it includes the follow up decades later.

[@jayizzard6868]

DVD this summer

[@Hobolore]

Well spoken guy.

[@m.g4441]

This is the definition of Direct Cinema -- Legend. And I adore American Heart. Cheers!

[@Theomite]

I just found out about these films and these people now and I will blind buy the fucking Blu-rays of these if Criterion puts them out. I can't not have these in my collection or not know more about these filmmakers.

[@diegoasiro]

Please, wanna watch it from Colombia

[@dishpitofhell2123]

amazing post the movie now plzz

[@davidhutchison8625]

I wonder if Chris Cornell or any other great icons from Seattle met or knew any of these kids.

[@mickielynnsimmons5468]

I was just thinking the same exact thing

[@CertainExposures]

Those are some compelling photographs. Sad stories.

[@SonOfCheepThrill]

finally on criterion... brilliant.... now guys.. what about Tora-san box set..... 😀😀😀

[@lewasil]

Why is it gone from KZbin?

[@Liverpool5095]

It comes and goes from KZbin periodically I guess because of copyright. It's actually back on KZbin now as i type this.

[@andrewwerner2061]

Just watched 2 but won't let you comment sad

[@mariec3527]

Patti was pregnant!?!? In Street Wise she looked super small and petite tho ! And I always did wonder how they had money to pay for a hotel room in streetwise but I assumed they had more money then other kids there . Same with Shadow

[@nicelydone9776]

I am sure the rooms back then were cheap.

[@alexf9381]

If you read the original life magazine article, it answers your question. The motel manager agreed to give Patti and Munchkin their own room each night in exchange for Patti sleeping with him every night. Each night she had to sleep with him, a middle aged man, as a payment for the room for that day. Disgusting.

[@Duvhem]

@@alexf9381where can you read the original magazine?

[@louisadrill7060]

tiny survived because she is extremely bright. but not in a book read sense or academia which means nothing in some ways in the real world

[@creekandseminole]

True

[@ocean4086]

I strongly dislike how you add "sad piano" in the outro. it's already dramatic and sad but to put that sound on top of the movie is just make it so insincere.

[@MichaelMike-mu3fw]

Tiny ain’t very tiny anymore 😅

[@rayninness6303]

Edgy Stuff!! 😉