“Eastside Feathers,” 2014

Documentary

Mockumentaries are Documentaries, Too

East Austin, like other parts of The United States, is undergoing gentrification. I helped edit and film this documentary for a series of stories and a class based on East Austin. We had a subject, this chicken farmer and his wife and chickens. It certainly was an experience seeing a chicken farm for the first time. What was impressive was this man’s ability to sustain his family with his veggie garden, his chicken farm, and his hydroponic system. In East Austin, it’s not uncommon to find people growing chicken farms, a new development in this area, however. East Austin is known for an area where minorities like Latinos and Blacks live. Because of gentrification, one can start to see the influence of wealthier white masses, like the pop up of chicken farms. While a humorous documentary, it’s safe to say this is also a mockumentary.