1050 Ponce De Leon Place is a famous old apartment building in my neighborhood in Atlanta
GA USA. The folks in 1050 are Section 8 which refers to the Housing Act of 1937 providing
housing subsidies for low income Americans. I've lived here since 1992, and have seen many
characters come and go from that building. I've also met some amazing people. One of the
more surprising things I’ve noticed over the years is that many in this community are
always smiling. My idea was to get to know the people who lived at 1050 and ask them -
why, with all that is against you, financially, physically - are you smiling a genuinely
beautiful smile? And that was the beginning of my project.
This project focuses, in broader terms, on the happiness and contentment found in people
that seem to have nothing to smile about. Particularly the older folks, the handicapped,
and those dependent on government aid for help. To those more fortunate, while driving or
walking by, it may seem that there is just sorrow and desperation living inside the
hulking red brick apartment building. But, to every yin there is a yang. There is
happiness found there, a bubbling up of the human spirit. Many of these amazing older
folks are fighting battles with poverty or illness, yet they are truly happy individuals.
They always seem to be smiling, and helping each other. To me this is a powerful project
to catch on film because in their happiness we find ours. I’ve seen these folks impacting
our neighborhood with their personalities, grins, and , and hugs since I moved to Poncey
Highland neighborhood.
