I’m a kid. It’s about time I felt like someone represented me.
Millennial filmmaker: “We are a country of immigrants, we are a country of gays, and young people.”
#YouthVoice is a series of testimonials by millennials on their priorities, what inspires them in a political candidate, why they are (not) apathetic, and why they support Agatha Bacelar for US Congress CA-12, replacing Nancy Pelosi in 2021. Check out Amelia’s story here.
Filmmaker Spencer Shea is the creative force behind the Agatha For Congress campaign video, and the iconic SF Stories, a series of micro documentaries (< 5minutes) profiling ordinary San Franciscans and their struggles with housing and healthcare, among other crises. The quality of these visual stories is amazingly high because Spencer is simply the best at what he does, working for some truly incredible organizations helping those underserved by our democracy. In fact, when Vice ran its profile of Agatha, it was Spencer’s photo of Agatha in her iconic red coat, stalking the convention that they chose to run.
Spence is hard to spot in the wild, here he is getting it done ⬇️:
We feel lucky Spencer is part of Team Agatha, but Spencer would tell you it isn’t a matter of luck at all, that his support for Agatha’s campaign is a deliberate act, a conclusion at the end of much time spent with Agatha working on extended projects to support Dreamers, as well as new voter registration — you can read the story below.
“I’d heard that San Francisco had become an unwelcoming place for artists, and for families, and for immigrants. Which was so untrue to what San Francisco has always stood for!Which is why I am doing everything I can to help Agatha in her campaign for US Congress District 12, San Francisco, 2020.” ~Spencer Shea, Filmmaker
The Agatha I Know
Spencer Shea, Filmmaker
A few years ago, I decided to join a Dreamer project that would begin to change my life. The opportunity to participate had come about via a series of untimely events. This is a story about that project, and how it led to me meeting and supporting Agatha for Congress.
I had never been to the east coast before, aside from New York and Miami, and I was eager to delve in, and discover for myself what it truly held. I hopped in a box truck with my friend Josh, and we drove from New York to Champaign, Illinois. Along the way we picked up Babak, and Basil, completing our crew for the project, or so I thought.
My role: videographer, plus assist in the production of the project, which basically meant: taking people’s photos using our photo booth-equipped truck, and helping paste them on big walls or floors or ceilings, to create massive mural installations, compromised of hundreds of faces of people from the surrounding area. All the while, scrambling to accurately portray the project by interviewing Dreamers, and documenting and creating mini-films about installations.
Now add into the mix that the whole crew was essentially on a low budget band tour. We stayed in the same place for only two days, and spent most of our time driving around from state to state in a dressed-up box truck equipped with a photo booth in back, and a full size office printer. After about a week the blaring engine noise became normal, and we’d become so used to the vibration experienced sitting or standing in the truck we barely noticed it.
Fast forward 📸: we arrive at our first stop in Champaign Illinois, and are greeted by a woman named Agatha, who was a stranger to me at the time. At first I saw Agatha doing some logistics work and thought “maybe she’s a behind the desk, lots of paperwork, sending out some grammatically correct emails type of lady”. Then as the day went on I saw her whip out her camera. She started taking pictures, filming and interviewing people like it was nobody’s business.
So when I found out she was going to be joining us on the tour, I was a bit confused. She began to make me question my role as the filmmaker. That is until I decided to go and have a word with this multitasker named Agatha. We connected instantly, we had conversations about filmmaking, camera equipment, dreamers and DACA (which she was so much more educated about than I), and after spending a week with her and connecting the dots, I knew.
She is an advocate, she provokes and debates and most of all, she listens. Everything she does, learns about, knows about, is just a tool in her toolbox to help her see the bigger picture, to help her fight for what she believes is unjust. I was immediately inspired by her ability to multitask, her endless bounds of knowledge, and her story. She was one of the most impressive people I had met to date. Needless to say, by the end of that first day I was extremely stoked I had met Agatha.
Fast forward a year…and we found ourselves together on the same truck, for a different cause. This time the goal was to get people to vote. Ironically, I wasn’t fully convinced as to why I should vote myself, when I joined the project.
This project showed me a different side of Agatha. A much more politically involved Agatha, who was furious at the outcome of the Brett Kavanaugh hearing. She was so inspired and we shared so many conversations regarding the state of the country, voting, sexism, unfair treatment, and racism. We even had a conversation where we argued over which one of us was more inspired!
Soon after, Agatha told me she wanted to run for Congress. I was inspired by the thought of her running in San Francisco, where I had seen many friends forced out because rent became too high. I’d heard that San Francisco had become an unwelcoming place for artists, and for families, and for immigrants. Which was so untrue to what San Francisco has always stood for!
Fast forward for the final time. I am ecstatic to say that today, I am doing everything I can to help Agatha in her campaign for US Congress District 12, San Francisco, 2020.
I believe Agatha Bacelar can win, and I believe she can change the nature of the fabric that has been woven into the political environment by people who have been in office longer than I have been alive! I am a kid, I have no one to relate to in politics aside from one woman elected last election cycle. How is it that in an age where children have more power, control, knowledge and experience than EVER BEFORE, that I look at politics with distaste. We are a country of immigrants, we are a country of gays, and young people, and a country who continues to push the bounds of music, art, culture and freedom! It’s about time I felt like someone who shared these traits, represented me.
2020 will be the first year I vote on an entire ballot. Thank you Agatha, for your kind words, and your endless inspiration. You are a role model, and a friend.
With love,
Spencer Shea
More Spencer Shea videos:
1. SF Stories: Meet Louize, survivor of breast cancer and a broken healthcare system
2. SF Stories: Meet T, homeless but far from hopeless in the Tenderloin
3. Agatha For Congress Campaign video (below)
