Praise for This Important Film
“It’s incredibly inspiring to see this new generation of organizers combining strategies from the past and present to build community power. If you are feeling down about the country’s future, this film will revitalize you.”
Randy Shaw, Editor, Beyond Chron and author, Priced Out: Who Gets to Live in the New Urban America
The Film
BETWEEN THE SUN AND THE SIDEWALK follows Christian Garcia, a fiercely dedicated young Latino political organizer leading a team of new recruits to mobilize their community to support a sugary drink tax. When the state government passes a stealth law to ban all local soda taxes until 2030, these young activists fearlessly battle the corporate lobbying efforts to block them.
In their goal to ignite a grassroots movement for health justice, the young organizers are undaunted. Tested during their fight for democracy and the right to vote on local issues, the film’s heroes overcome doubt, fear and powerful resistance as they dare to fight back against the goliath American beverage industry.
This story of hands-on community organizing reveals how, through collective participation at the grassroots level, people can make meaningful change that benefits everyone.
The Message
Growing health differences underscore the deepening inequality in American society. The working-class city at the center of BETWEEN THE SUN AND THE SIDEWALK reflects the challenges facing vulnerable communities around the country.
In a region where 39% of young people under 30 are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes, BETWEEN THE SUN AND THE SIDEWALK focuses on a public health battle being waged at the local level — against the harmful beverage industry and the over consumption of sugary drinks. In cities across the US — from Philadelphia to Oakland — and in countries like Mexico, soda taxes on beverage distributors have been used to support community-based health education efforts to save lives.
When eager young people gain hands-on political education, learn to organize, and expand their confidence to speak up and take action, they become leaders and agents for change. While combating despair and disengagement, BETWEEN THE SUN AND THE SIDEWALK opens up an inspiring dialogue to strengthen our democratic structures at the grassroots, and change the narrative for those youth wanting to harness their energy and power to create a better, more just society.
